Drunken argument led to fatal shooting near Charleston and Fremont

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A drunken argument between childhood friends led to a fatal shooting at a home near Charleston Boulevard and Fremont Street.

The incident occurred last Monday in the 2000 block of Peyton Drive.

According to a police report, Isaiah Branch told investigators he was contacted by Xzavier Maheia, a childhood friend who was visiting Las Vegas. He said Maheia wanted to see him, so Branch and his girlfriend drove to a house where Maheia was staying and picked him up.

The three went to a liquor store and bought a bottle of vodka, which they drank while parked in front of the house. They then went back to buy another bottle of vodka and returned to the house.

Branch told investigators he felt sick and wanted to leave, but he had trouble getting to the front door because he was drunk. He then claimed Maheia took his cell phone away from him and told him to “not worry about the calls and to stay the night.” He then allegedly told Branch's girlfriend she had to leave, but she said she wouldn't leave without Branch.

This led to a fight and Branch's girlfriend told police that Maheia started hitting her several times. She eventually had to go to Sunrise Hospital to be treated for a broken nose and bruised eye.

During the argument, Branch said, he pulled Maheia away from his girlfriend and the two men began fighting over a gun that was in Branch's pocket. Branch claims Maheia lunged at him, so he shot several times because he “thought [he] wanted to try to fight [him] for the weapon again.”

According to the report, Branch told police he could not remember how many times he fired the gun and denied firing from the living room or following Maheia into the kitchen. When police contradicted that statement and said there were shell casings in the living room, Branch said he “could not remember how they got there.” He also told investigators the “incident happened very quickly” and because he was drunk, he could not “remember every detail.”

Maheia's sister, who was in the house at the time of the shooting, told police that when Branch reached for the gun, Maheia “was not holding anything” and that without warning, Branch “started to [Maheia] as [Maheia] ran through the kitchen.”

In addition to the numerous shell casings found throughout the house, police also examined surveillance video, which reported hearing approximately 21 gunshots in rapid, sustained succession, as well as someone screaming and yelling, “I'm calling the police,” and a vehicle driving away from the scene.

Branch left the scene of the shooting, but the report states that he called police to let them know he was involved in the shooting, parked a short distance away, and would wait for officers.

Branch was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

He has been in custody at the Clark County Detention Center since Sunday evening. According to documents, he is scheduled to appear in court on June 27.