Your Daily Guide

A Metro police officer was stable at UMC after being shot while responding to a domestic violence call near Peace Way and Buffalo. The suspect, accused of attacking his girlfriend with a blowtorch, and a child were later found dead. The woman who called 911 was treated for minor injuries. [KSNV]

• This comes less than a week after another Metro officer was killed in an eastside ambush. The suspect, also killed in the gunfire, was a 21-year-old UNLV student who a family member says struggled with serious mental health issues — yet according to police, was able to buy his own gun. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]
• Nevada does not require a purchase permit, firearm registration, or a waiting period, but buyers must pass a background check and legally qualify to own a weapon. [702defense.com]
• Background checks don’t always identify a history of mental illness. Private medical information or voluntary treatment aren’t included. [PBS]
• Nevada has an expanded red flag law that went into effect in 2000, allowing anyone, from family members to police officers, to file temporary online protection orders against a person believed to be in dangerous possession of a firearm. [City Cast Las Vegas ✍️]
• Here’s the problem: it barely gets used, especially when compared to similar laws in other states. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]

😖 Road Work Stifles Arts District

I’ve learned to take the “back way” when visiting the Downtown Arts District: The Neon Gateway exit off I-15 👉 Western 👉 Industrial (turn right!) 👉 Utah 👉 and boom: you’re there. The route avoids Charleston, which is down to one lane in each direction due to a $49 million storm drain project. [KSNV]

• City Cast Las Vegas has more on why the construction comes at an especially bad time for the neighborhood in today’s news roundup. The episode also covers the Tupac Shakur murder trial, which finally got underway 30 years after the rapper was shot and killed near the Strip. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]

💧 Lake Mead Hits a New Low

1,040.46 feet to be exact. But that was on Friday — and it’s only getting worse. Watch our water supply disappear in real time. [KTNV/usbr.gov]

• Sorry, any rain from monsoon season won’t help much. [City Cast Las Vegas ✍️]
• The low water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell have threatened the Colorado River’s ability to generate hydroelectricity. (One expert even says we “ought to think about this as a natural disaster.”) Lincoln County used to get 100% of its electricity from the Hoover Dam, but is developing solar power as an alternative. [Popular Mechanics]

☄️ The Perseid Meteors Return

The Perseid meteor shower is back to give the Earth a spectacular show of shooting stars. The peak is expected this week (overnight August 12-13, to be exact) when the Earth passes through the center of the debris trail. Visit our online guide on how to best view the meteor shower in Las Vegas, why it's so bright, and the right way to pronounce the name 👀 [City Cast Las Vegas ✍️]

🌎 New Year’s Encore

After planning to end their residency this month, the Backstreet Boys are returning to the Sphere for not only an F1 afterparty, but three New Year’s Eve weekend shows. [KVVU]