LAUGHLIN, Nev. — Rival motorcycle gangs armed with guns and knives clashed on a crowded casino floor early Saturday, leaving three dead and at least 12 wounded as terrified gamblers ducked for cover.
The shooting, the worst ever inside a Nevada casino, occurred during a weekend gathering of motorcycle groups, including the Mongols and Hells Angels.
Denise Massey, 48, was gambling with her fiance on the first floor of Harrah's when she noticed 20 to 30 bikers suddenly converge.
"Next thing you know you just hear 'Bam, bam, bam,' " she said. "All of a sudden they're running and just shooting at each other."
Police said the violence erupted when a Mongol member walked into a group of Hells Angels. Sixty to 70 people, armed with guns and knives, were involved in the violence inside the entrance to Harrah's casino, authorities said.
All three of the dead were bikers, police said. One person was arrested and police had recovered several guns. About 200 people were being interviewed, said Lt. Vince Cannito, of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which patrols the Colorado River gambling resort 80 miles southeast of Las Vegas.
Authorities also warned of the danger for further violence.
"The rumors of retaliation have already hit the street," said Larry Tunforss, spokesman for the fire department in Bullhead City, Ariz., which is across the river from Laughlin. "Our police department is beefing up intensely. There's a definite concern of further incidents."
SWAT teams and law enforcement officers from across Arizona and Nevada were called in.