Robbers Seize $1 Million at Vegas Casino
Armed robbers set off smoke bombs, grabbed a money bag from an armored car guard and escaped with an estimated $1 million in cash and checks Monday from a crowded casino at the Stardust hotel.
“People were running through the casino yelling, ‘They’ve got guns! They’ve got bombs!’ ” said Pat Shumaker of Chattanooga, Tenn. “People were running through the kitchen, running for the exits, hiding behind tables.”
The two armed men ignited smoke bombs and moved in as the guard carried a satchel from the casino cage to his vehicle. The robbers knocked the guard to the floor, grabbed his satchel and gun, then fled to a waiting station wagon driven by a third suspect, said Sgt. Mike Thompson.
Stardust spokeswoman Kathy Espin estimated the loss at about $1 million.
Espin said the money technically belonged to Loomis Armored Inc., the armored car company, because the guard had signed for the money.
No injuries were reported, although several customers complained of inhaling the smoke that drifted through the sprawling casino.
Shumaker, who was heading for a hotel restaurant when the incident occurred, said bystanders feared for their lives.
“Anybody crazy enough to rob a casino is crazy enough to shoot you,” she said.
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