Police say an argument over who should drive turned into a fight outside the Dive Bar.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — A 37-year-old man was fatally shot outside a Las Vegas bar early June 1 after celebrating his birthday with his girlfriend and roommate, who is now charged with open murder, police said.

Anthony Anderson died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center after the shooting outside the Dive Bar on Maryland Parkway. Police identified the suspect as Jordan Garcia, 26, Anderson’s roommate and friend. The case now turns on witness statements, a reported bystander video, shell casings found at the scene and what investigators say Garcia told a bar employee moments after the gunfire.

The night began May 31 as a birthday gathering, according to an arrest report described by police. Anderson and his girlfriend picked Garcia up from work before the three went to the Dive Bar. The girlfriend later told investigators the two men were friendly during the outing and “expressed affection for one another,” calling each other “brothers.” Police said Garcia had a few drinks, while Anderson drank heavily. The girlfriend agreed to drive the group home because of the drinking, but that plan changed when the group prepared to leave near 4 a.m.

Investigators said the argument began when Anderson insisted that he wanted to drive. Garcia tried to persuade him to let the girlfriend stay behind the wheel, according to the girlfriend’s statement to police. The dispute moved outside the bar and became physical near the vehicle. The girlfriend got into the driver’s seat, then looked out and saw Anderson and Garcia on the ground. She got out and separated them. A bystander from the bar was filming the fight, police said, and the girlfriend yelled for that person to get help from a bartender.

After pulling the men apart, the girlfriend turned back toward the vehicle. She told investigators she then saw flashes in her mirror, which she believed came from a gun. Anderson was soon on the ground. Police later determined that seven rounds had been fired based on casings at the scene. The shooting happened so quickly after the fight that investigators are still relying on witness accounts, physical evidence and video to sort out the final seconds. Police have not said publicly who had the gun first during the confrontation.

A bar employee heard the gunfire and went outside to help Anderson, police said. The employee told investigators that Garcia said something close to, “I shot him and he tried to fight me.” That alleged statement became one of the central pieces of the arrest report. Police said the weapon recovered at the scene belonged to Anderson but was shared by both roommates. Anderson had been carrying it that night because Garcia had been at work, the girlfriend told officers. She also said it was not unusual for Anderson to carry the firearm.

Anderson was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, where he died from his injuries. Police have not released a full account of where Anderson was shot or how long emergency crews worked to save him. The public account does not name the girlfriend, and police have not said whether the bystander’s video captured the shooting itself or only the fight before it. The report describes the shooting as an escalation from a birthday outing, to a disagreement about driving, to a physical fight, and then to gunfire.

Garcia was taken to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarters after the shooting. Police said he did not speak with investigators about the case and asked for an attorney. He was booked into the Clark County Department of Corrections on an open murder charge. In Nevada, an open murder charge allows prosecutors to pursue the level of homicide supported by the evidence as the case develops. The next court date listed in early reports was June 9, when the case was expected to move into its first procedural stage after the arrest.

The relationship between the men is a key part of the account because witnesses described them as close only hours before the shooting. The girlfriend told police there had been no known history of conflict between them. That detail stands beside the reported argument over driving, which police described as the immediate cause of the dispute. Investigators have not announced a deeper motive. The reported sharing of the firearm also remains important because police said the gun belonged to Anderson even though Garcia is accused of using it.

The Dive Bar, a long-running spot on Maryland Parkway, became the scene of the homicide investigation shortly after the group left the celebration. Police and medical responders arrived after the girlfriend screamed for someone to call 911, according to the account she gave officers. A bar employee provided aid before Anderson was transported. The arrest report places several people near the scene: the girlfriend, Garcia, Anderson, a bystander recording outside the bar and at least one employee who came out after hearing shots.

Authorities have not publicly released the full video, the complete arrest report or a final timeline from the homicide investigation. The known facts come from police statements, the girlfriend’s interview, the bar employee’s account and the physical evidence collected after the shooting. Prosecutors will have to address the fight, the weapon, the number of shots and Garcia’s alleged statement as the case moves forward. Garcia’s defense had not been detailed publicly in the early accounts because he invoked his right to counsel.

The case was still in its early stage, with Garcia in Clark County custody and investigators continuing to line up the witness accounts, video and ballistic evidence from outside the bar.

Author note: Last updated July 7, 2026.