Nevada
Nevada horse ranchers seek suspect in mustang shooting
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Ranchers scanned the Red Rock Canyon for the wounded mustang they were tasked to save, but time was running out as the brutal blizzard conditions set in.
Two days prior, on April 5, a group of state officials from the Nevada Lieutenant Governor’s office toured the Red Rock Canyon area with JP Hoffman, owner of Shiloh Ranch, and his staff to a nearby watering hole for the wild mustangs.
During the education tour, one official saw something strange on a young female mustang and called for Hoffman to look—it was a gunshot wound.
“I knew it was bad,” Hoffman said. “It was bleeding bad and had a lot of fluid coming out.”
The tour quickly ended, and Hoffman immediately contacted the Nevada Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to relay the mustang’s condition.
Officials were already tracking the 11-month-old female mustang, Oakley, due to her bloodline’s importance to the small herd, and asked Hoffman to rescue the wounded wild horse.
“It was quite western,” he said.
Hoffman geared up with his posse and drove back to Red Rock Canyon to find Oakley but they noticed something in the sky, snow.
“It was cloudy, super windy, freezing cold,” Hoffman said. “It was shocking because it was April, and we are right by Las Vegas.”
The posse split up upon arrival in search of Oakley, but problems began to arise as the herd spread out and the posse’s rendezvous points were difficult to manage due to a lack of cell service.
“We lost daylight pretty quick,” Hoffman said.
The group ended their day’s search and returned to the ranch as Oakley continued to struggle, wounded in the blizzard.
That next Saturday morning the posse resupplied the trailer and set out again into Red Rock Canyon, but a new obstacle would present a challenge, tourists.
“There were people coming into take pictures and ride ATVs,” Hoffman said. “Which is allowed.”
Finally, the posse spotted Oakley and Hoffman attempted to rope her for hours but due to a hand injury that never quite healed he failed to capture the injured mustang.
Again, the group returned to the ranch as Oakley’s injuries worsened.
The next morning the posse had better luck as they warned off the tourists in the area, but just as Hoffman found and attempted to rope Oakley, a videographer stopped him.
“He was going off on me,” Hoffman said. “Which is the right thing, I would have done the same thing.”
Hoffman lost two hours while he explained to the videographer the permissions they were given by BLM and the organization they worked with, and now Oakley was miles away.
“We rode literally every inch,” he said. “We were really concerned she was down somewhere.”
As daylight and provisions ran low one member left to grab more supplies, but that’s when she was spotted again on the side of the road.
Luckily, Oakley was not alone as a male stallion, Venture, stayed by her side as she roamed the canyon—records show he had been attempting to sway her.
Hoffman had one more chance to capture Oakley and his hand wasn’t any better.
“I missed twice with the rope,” he said. “So, I did a little trick I remembered as a kid, and I was able to get her with the third loop.”
It would take another two hours before Oakley was calm enough to go into the horse trailer, but finally, she was safe.
#Whoshotoakly
Doctors and surgeons at Desert Pines Equine Center got to work tending to Oakley’s gunshot wound which Hoffman said came from a 9mm round that was still in her shoulder.
“We want to thank Doctor Ivy and Garcia along with Surgeon Winchell,” he said.
Hoffman said unfortunately he wasn’t too surprised when he realized the scope of the wound since the bullet injury is common.
“We’ve had issues in Red Rock Canyon before,” he said. “Arizona had almost an epidemic there with a lot of their wild horses day to day, it’s a senseless crime.”
It’s like a needle in a haystack according to Hoffman who said he believes BLM and law enforcement are doing the best they can to crack down on people who shoot equine wildlife.
Two months after the initial recovery, Oakley has nearly fully recovered and can be seen bouncing her hooves in her water trough.
“I think she’s part labrador,” Hoffman said.
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Oakley, a mustang who was shot in Red Rock Canyon, arriving at Shiloh Ranch. -
Oakley, a mustang who was shot in Red Rock Canyon, at Shiloh Ranch. -
Oakley, a mustang who was shot in Red Rock Canyon, at Shiloh Ranch.
Shiloh Ranch in Sandy Valley, Nevada has become home for Oakley who is no longer wild, which means she cannot return to Red Rock Canyon.
“From our understanding, it’s never been done before,” Hoffman said. “We knew it was tough, but we weren’t going to give up on this test.”
America lives in Germany
A major obstacle for the Nevada BLM is the overall horse headcount which has been overwhelming for officials, according to Hoffman.
“Typically, you look at a 5,000 headcount per year in all western states that have wild mustangs,” Hoffman said. “This year, BLM needed to ramp that number up to 21,000, that’s a big number.”
Hoffman sees Shiloh Ranch playing a role in horse handling with the Nevada BLM, and he has a plan: training and re-homing.
“What we’re trying to do is be that guy in the middle that creates the value of the markets here,” he said. “We want to take it to an advanced level of training, and then actually turn this into a business by assisting BLM with their goals and help these [horses] get into safe homes where they can afford to be taken care of.”
Some Nevada mustangs have already gone through the process and following training been shipped to Europe, where they are given a home.
“It’s funny, there’s a mustang right off Red Rock, his name is America and he lives in Germany,” Hoffman said. “It literally is kind of spreading across Europe.”
Hoffman said his European customers have come calling for true-blue American mustang from Nevada, even asking for an American F-150 and horse trailer to boot.
“I don’t know if it’s the western thing in the culture,” he said. “But we’re definitely seeing that push.”
Hoffman also said it’s important for people to remind others that Shiloh Ranch is no longer a “horse rescue” as it was when owned by Hollywood actors Tony and Jill Curtis.
Horses would be left tied to the front posts of the ranch according to Hoffman who said he has seen his fair share of horses brushed aside.
Volunteers and investors who are seeking to help Hoffman and the staff at Shiloh Ranch are asked to visit their website where they can learn more about the property and even buy a #whoshotoakley t-shirt.
The Las Vegas Raiders have orchestrated many groundbreaking moves this offseason, but none as important as the impact they made at a fundraising event.
Over the weekend, the Raiders hosted the Silver & Black Gala, raising $2.5 million for mental health in Nevada. Sunday marked the third time the organization had hosted the event, which has produced a tremendous turnout.
Several individuals spoke during the event, including Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and president Sandra Douglass Morgan, who each highlighted the importance of acknowledging mental health.
Davis’ Thoughts
- “We’re here to raise money for mental health, which is one of the most important things we can all deal with,” Davis said. “Every one of us is impacted by mental health and our families, friends, or anywhere else, we are all directly affected. That’s why it’s so critical to raise money for our community. We’re grateful for you all, and appreciate you being here.”
Morgan’s Thoughts
“Mental health remains one of the most urgent issues across Nevada,” Morgan said. “Through the Silver & Black Gala, the Raiders Foundation is helping expand access to trusted, community-based resources that meet people where they are. This year’s recipients reflect the depth and complexity of that work, supporting our community in schools, clubhouses, homes, shelters, and family systems statewide.”
The Raiders also honored former player Carl Nassib and NFL broadcaster Jay Glazer on Sunday night as the winners of the Commitment to Excellence award. Here is what each of them had to say.
Glazer’s Thoughts
- “First, this is incredible what the Raiders are doing,” Glazer said. “God blessed me with the ability to communicate, so I’m going to use that to try and help other people. When we’re willing to share our scars, we turn them into strength—into something that connects us as teammates with nothing to hide. That’s what builds a true team, a championship team. I’m proud to stand with you and be part of this team tonight.”
Nassib’s Thoughts
- “It is truly a privilege to be up here,” Nassib said. “We’re creating space for people to be vulnerable—and that work is truly lifesaving. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about showing up and reminding people they’re not alone.”
Overall Thoughts
This has been a tremendous event over the last few years, and the Raiders’ organization has done a great job of raising awareness for mental health. This will be an event that the team will continue to host in the future.
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Nevada
Nevada workers fear homelessness as housing, jobs vanish before July deadline | Fox News Video
The final casino resort in Primm, Nevada, will close this summer after years of declining tourism, ending gaming operations in the once-busy border town and putting hundreds of employees out of work.
Primm Valley Casino Resorts is shutting down its remaining hotel and casino operations in July as experts point to increased competition, changing travel habits and post-pandemic losses behind the decline.
RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) is in a strong position heading into the thick of his 2026 reelection bid — a huge war chest, almost universal name recognition and strong favorability numbers among the electorate.
Though Lombardo is likely focusing on the general election already, he faces 6 longshot candidates in the GOP primary seeking to upset him in June.
Nevada Governor GOP primary: 6 longshot candidates taking on incumbent Joe Lombardo
The challengers face a ‘Herculean’ task, said Mike Noble, CEO and founder of Noble Predictive Insights, an Arizona-based nonpartisan pollster focusing on the Southwest region.
“I see it as a Herculean task for anyone. If someone was coming in with like, I don’t know $10 million or something to spend, sure I can see that might be competitive, but I don’t see any of them coming anywhere near close to that. And so again, I just think I think it’s a non-factor at this point,” Noble said.
RELATED | Ballot Battleground: Nevada podcast: Early Noble poll shows dead heat in governor’s race
Despite the long odds, News 4-Fox 11 reached out to all candidates requesting an interview as part of our commitment to 2026 election coverage and our Know Your Candidates series. Three of the 7 running interviewed with us — Irina Hansen, Kameron Hawkins, Lombardo and Jose Zelaya did not respond to multiple emails requesting an interview.
We asked them similar questions about Gov. Lombardo’s leadership as governor, how they would pass a balanced budget and whether they support taxpayer subsidies for sports teams or major projects.
Click the candidate’s name to watch their full interview. Quotes below have been edited for space and clarity.
Donald J. Beaudry Jr. is an entrepreneur who founded BlkEdgeAi, a financial technology firm specializing in AI-driven trading systems and market strategy, according to his campaign website.
He told News 4-Fox 11 that Nevada has been drifting the last four years with ‘no captain, no vision.’ He believes his Wall Street-like trading market called NGEX (Nevada Global Exchange) would generate enough revenue to eliminate sales taxes, property taxes, business taxes and vehicle registration fees.
“I completely blueprinted it out and calculated that this model could generate enough revenue in this state that we could eliminate all the state taxes and fees that are currently in place and use that as the revenue source for the state and make everybody, every man, woman and child throughout Nevada, a shareholder in the dividends of that exchange … it would be a kind of Wall Street type of stock market, but far broader, more advanced, and exponentially more profitable.”
Matthew Rian Winterhawk is the founder of SmartSlaps foundation, a nonprofit that works to help schools and students with civic engagement and community responsibility.
If elected, he described going through a DOGE-like review of the state budget to determine which areas can be cut or kept depending on their ‘dollar to impact’ ratio.
“What I would like to do is go through every department, I’m talking top to bottom, from here from the primary to the beginning. We will cut every piece of administrative bloat across the system … I need more money for my teachers. Teachers never see it, students never see it, the impact never reaches the classroom. It’s 100% administrative bloat.”
The son of immigrants, Barak Zilberberg is now an entrepreneur and real estate investor based in Las Vegas. He ran for governor in 2022, earning 0.2% of the vote in the GOP primary. He told News 4-Fox 11 he’s also running for President in 2028.
He said he’s running for governor to improve the educational system, bring jobs to Nevada and open up federal land to build more affordable housing.
“We’ve got get high-speed railing systems in here where we can transit very easily, efficiently, and basically moving around between economies of both cities. Not only that, I’d like to bring Disneyland here and the Olympics, sponsor the Olympics here. I just want to make this a well-known place of entertainment, a hub.”
To help voters make informed decisions this election year, News 4-Fox 11 is publishing and broadcasting dozens of interviews with candidates who will appear on the June primary ballot.
In fairness to all candidates, they were asked a series of similar questions. We are posting the full interviews online so voters can watch their responses in their entirety.
Visit our Know Your Candidates 2026 page to view other race previews and meet other candidates.
Email reporter Ben Margiott at bjmargiott@sbgtv.com. Follow @BenMargiott on X and Ben Margiott KRNV on Facebook.
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