FBI Agent Fatally Shot Trying to Stop Robbery at Bank

An FBI agent was fatally wounded Monday when he tried to halt a robbery at a bank branch east of the Strip.

Police arrested a suspect in the shooting several hours later.

Agent John Bailey, 47, died in surgery at University Medical Center. Bailey, a 21-year FBI veteran and the father of two daughters, was the first FBI agent killed in the state of Nevada and the 29th killed in the line of duty in the United States, according to the FBI.

Carlos Gurry, 27, of Las Vegas, was arrested by officers several hours after the incident.

Bailey had gone to the Security Pacific Bank office to serve a subpoena when he came upon a robbery in progress, Las Vegas police said. The agent drew his weapon, challenged the robber and ordered him to halt, Deputy Police Chief John Sullivan said. When the robber turned and displayed a gun, Bailey a fired a shot, which missed.

“The subject then bolted into Bailey and knocked him against a wall” of the bank lobby, Sullivan said.

The robber fired at the agent, hitting him several times.

Sullivan said police received a 911 emergency call stating there was a robbery at the bank and that an FBI agent had a subject in custody.

“Then a series of shots were heard on the phone,” Sullivan said.

Witnesses said six shots were fired.

Bailey was shot twice in the chest, once in the back and was also hit in the right arm, according to a hospital spokesman. The agent died about three hours after the shooting.

Sullivan said a tip led to Gurry, who accompanied officers to police headquarters for questioning. Sullivan said the questioning prompted the issuance of a search warrant and officers believed they had enough evidence to book Gurry on a murder warrant. Sullivan declined to discuss any evidence.

Police were searching for a second man, Jose Echevarria, for questioning only. He is not considered a suspect in the case, Sullivan said.

Bailey, a former Marine captain who was decorated for valor during the Vietnam War, had been in the Las Vegas office of the FBI since 1977.