A dice game at a Las Vegas home turned deadly when a rap feud erupted into gunfire, leaving one dead and nine people facing murder charges.
Michael Simmons Jr., 22, was at a home on Coja Street for a dice game on July 9, 2025, when he was fatally shot in the head. Simmons, described by those who knew him as a beloved barber and father to a two-year-old daughter, was not the intended target, police say.
Investigators say the shooters were aiming for Ishad “Shady Rose” Livingston, an alleged member of a rival gang who was believed to be living at the home, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported.
Nine people have been arrested in connection with the shooting, with the most recent suspect taken into custody this week, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Jamar Holman, 33, was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on suspicion of open murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and two counts of discharging a gun into an occupied structure with the intent to promote or assist a criminal gang.
Holman, believed to be affiliated with the “Five” street gang, reportedly conspired with several others, including Rashid “Uchies” Soukesian, Eduardo “T-Raw” Baez, Artavious “Da Dogg” Woods, Calvin “Spark G” Hicks, Rickey “Ratchet/Lit Rickey” Allen and Johntyrae “John Stockton/Tiny Sol” Mitchell, to carry out the shooting.
On the night of the shooting, Simmons was in the garage with Livingston and others playing a dice game when shots rang out. Officers arrived just before 12:40 a.m. and Simmons was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators allege that more than 40 rounds were fired into the garage where they were gathered.
The violence was allegedly fueled by an ongoing feud between members of the Five gang and a rival group known as “YNIC,” according to investigators. The dispute escalated after the July 2024 death of Five member Gerald “Poo Pistols” Harvey.
Police say that Harvey had been in a “well-known” rap feud with the alleged target, Livingston, and the two had previously shot each other during a January 2024 incident in North Las Vegas. Authorities believe that feud ultimately led to the retaliation attempt that killed Simmons.
Holman is believed to be the final outstanding suspect in the investigation, Metro spokesperson Robert Wicks said Friday. He was denied bail on Thursday, accourding to court records.
The other suspects – Soukesian, Baez, Woods, Hicks, Allen and Mitchell – have all been arrested in recent months and face charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, shooting into an occupied structure and racketeering. Each has pleaded not guilty, according to court records.
All defendants scheduled to be in court Tuesday for a status check.
