Las Vegas lawyer and wife killed amid custody battle over children from previous marriage, family says

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Las Vegas lawyer and his wife were in the middle of a contentious custody battle over his children from a previous marriage when the woman’s former father-in-law, also a lawyer, approached them. shot at last week. during a deposition hearing in the case, according to authorities and his relatives.

The Las Vegas coroner’s office identified the victims as attorney Dennis Prince and his wife Ashley. Both were shot multiple times, the coroner’s office said, before Joseph Houston, 77, shot himself to death.

Gunfire erupted just minutes after the deposition hearing began on the morning of April 8 at Dennis Prince’s law office, Prince Law Group, in the affluent Summerlin neighborhood.

Seven people were in the room at the time of the shooting, police said. The other four, including a court reporter, were able to quickly escape and call police.

At a news conference Monday, Ashley Prince’s parents said their daughter was previously married to Houston’s son and had been trying for years to gain sole custody of two of their children. Houston, a Nevada lawyer since 1974, represented his son in the custody battle, according to court records.

Julie Page said they would continue their daughter’s fight for custody of the children, ages 4 and 5.

“Our daughter Ashley was a dedicated and fierce protector of her children,” Page said, choking back tears as she told reporters that her daughter “would never have given up the fight for her children.”

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which is investigating the shooting, did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment on the family’s statement.

Bryce Page said Monday his sister was “beaming her whole heart” after meeting Dennis Prince. He said his sister had fulfilled her life’s dream of creating a “warm and loving environment” for her family after recently welcoming her first child with Dennis Prince.

Prince was a trial lawyer in Las Vegas for 30 years and headed the Prince Law Group, where the shooting took place.

He established this firm after establishing a reputation as a leading attorney in personal injury, product liability, negligence and insurance matters in Nevada. His professional profiles indicate that he has tried more than 90 cases and has published more than a dozen cases before the state Supreme Court.

“It is with deep sadness that Prince Law Group would like to thank everyone who has sent us sincere messages of concern and sympathy regarding the tragic violence that occurred this morning in our offices,” the legal group said in a statement. last week.

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Associated Press writer Ken Ritter in Las Vegas contributed to this report.