Authorities probe casino shootout

LAUGHLIN, Nev. -- Thousands of bikers rumbled out of town Sunday as investigators sorted out the details of a casino brawl between rival motorcycle gangs that left three people dead. \nDozens of extra police patrolled the streets to guard against possible gang retaliation at one of the nation's largest motorcycle festivals. \n"It's just a mass exodus," said Sgt. Chuck Jones of the Las Vegas police department, which has jurisdiction over the casino town 80 miles southeast of Las Vegas. "If you go on the highway right now, it's just motorcycle after motorcycle as far as you can see." \nGamblers ran for cover Saturday as 60 to 70 people fought inside Harrah's hotel-casino. Police said gunfire erupted when an argument between the rival Mongols and Hells Angels gangs escalated. \n"Blow by blow, stab by stab, and shot by shot, we know exactly what happened in that casino," said Las Vegas police Lt. Vince Cannito after watching casino surveillance tapes. "If there is any other event that precipitated what happened in there, we may never know." \nAll three of the dead were gang members involved in the fight, police said. \nCalvin Schaffer, 33, a member of the Hells Angels, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of murder, Cannito said. \nAfter interviewing more than 500 people, police said they arrested three to four people on outstanding warrants unconnected to the shooting, adding that more arrests are possible. \nWestern Arizona Regional Medical Center in Bullhead City treated seven fight victims. Three were in fair condition with gunshot wounds and one was in good condition with chest pains. Three were released. \nUniversity Medical Center in Las Vegas was treating five patients, all with gunshot or stab wounds. A 47-year-old man was in critical condition, three men were in serious condition and one was in fair condition. \nInvestigators were also doing ballistics tests on shell casings found near a body along Interstate 40 and trying to determine if the killing of the motorcyclist was connected to the casino shooting. Cannito said police believe the attack occurred at about 1:30 a.m. -- 45 minutes before the shooting at Harrah's.