August 12, 2026 - 7:28 am

Police have released the name of the officer involved in Monday’s police shooting, which left a suspect and young girl dead and injured a Metropolitan Police Department officer.

Officer Zaira Venegas-Hernandez, 36, has been with the department since 2021, Metro said in a release Wednesday.

Clark County Coroner records also identified the suspect as 48-year-old Jason Alan Simmons, who died by suicide. The coroner had not yet released the child’s identity.

Officers responded to a domestic dispute in the 4500 block of Pigeon Point Court, near Buffalo Drive and Peace Way, at about 12:30 a.m. The home is located in the Buffalo Ranch gated HOA community.

A woman had called Metro to report a man who was chasing her with a blowtorch trying to set her on fire.

“The call was then upgraded when the female stated that she had been shot,” Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Adam Seely said Monday. “LVMPD officers arrived and, based on the circumstances and details of the incident, immediately made entry into the residence.”

Inside the residence, police found the suspect, who opened fire and struck a Metro officer, who was taken to University Medical Center, where her condition stabilized, Seely said. She was later discharged from the hospital and is recovering at home, Steve Grammas, president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, said Monday afternoon.

Another officer returned fire at the suspect before police backed out of the residence and a barricade situation was declared, Seely said.

SWAT and crisis negotiators entered the home a short time later and found the suspect and a girl suffering from gunshot wounds. Both died at the scene.

Venegas-Hernandez is assigned to the Spring Valley Area Command, which is part of Metro’s Tourist Safety Division. She has been placed on routine paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a review of this incident.

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org. Additionally, the Crisis Text Line is a free, national service available 24/7. Text HOME to 741741.

Contact Tony Garcia at tgarcia@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307. Follow @TonyGLVNews on X. Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.