Woman charged with murder after fatal shooting during Las Vegas photoshoot
A 20-year-old woman faces murder charges after a gun she was posing with discharged during an early morning photoshoot, killing her boyfriend in a Las Vegas neighborhood.
Fatal incident during Instagram photoshoot
Allysandra Blea was arrested and charged with open murder with a deadly weapon following the death of 23-year-old Mark Gaughan on Saturday, August 23. The shooting occurred around 5 a.m. in the 1000 block of Nassau Drive, near Washington Avenue and North Decatur Boulevard.
According to police reports, Blea and another woman were posing with firearms for Instagram photos while Gaughan took pictures. During the session, the gun Blea was holding discharged, striking Gaughan in the neck. He was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.
Social media reveals troubling patterns
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police investigators discovered disturbing content on Blea’s social media accounts during their investigation. According to the arrest report, detectives found numerous messages expressing her fascination with firearms and violence.
Police noted that Blea had posted multiple photos of herself posing with various firearms, including handguns, revolvers, and rifles. Some images showed her pointing weapons at her own head and at stuffed animals. In one message exchange, she reportedly wrote about wanting to shoot people with real guns and discussed targeting vulnerable individuals in Las Vegas’s underground tunnels.
Defendant claims accidental shooting
During police interviews, Blea maintained that the shooting was accidental. She told detectives she believed the firearm was unloaded and had never taken any gun safety courses. The group had been drinking since midnight before deciding to take the photos around 4:30 a.m.
Witnesses at the scene included two friends who were present during the incident. One witness reported hearing the gunshot after seeing a camera flash, while another had been sleeping inside when he was awakened by screaming.
Court proceedings begin
Blea appeared before Judge Nancy Bernstein on Tuesday, where she was formally charged with murder. She stood silently and shook her head when asked if she understood the charges against her. The court appointed a public defender to represent her, and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 2.
Blea remains in custody at the Clark County Detention Center without bail. The victim, Mark Gaughan, was remembered by TNG talent agency, where he worked as a model under the name Santiago.
Category: Breaking News
Subcategory: Crime & Safety
Date: 09/2/2025
