Reports indicate that three inmates have lost their lives, and nine others sustained injuries following a gang-related confrontation at Nevada’s sole maximum-security prison.
The event took place on Tuesday afternoon at Ely State Prison, located in a remote area in the eastern part of the state, leading to a lockdown as reported by the Associated Press.
Nevada’s Department of Corrections referred to the incident as an “altercation,” confirming that no officers were injured. They did not disclose the identities of the deceased inmates or the conditions of those hurt.
The office of Gov. Joe Lombardo informed Fox5 Vegas that the altercation was linked to gang activity.
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A sign marks the entrance to Ely State Prison near Ely, Nevada. Officials report that several inmates are deceased and others have been taken for medical treatment following an “altercation” at the prison on Tuesday, July 30. (AP/John Locher)
Ely State Prison is recognized by the Nevada Department of Corrections as the “designated maximum-security prison” in the state, having the capacity to hold 1,183 inmates.
Currently, around 400 staff members are employed at the facility.
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Antonio Talavera, 38, serving a sentence for burglary with a deadly weapon and ex-felon in possession of a firearm, and Norman Belcher, 49, convicted of murder and previously on death row, were the last two inmates to perish at Ely State Prison before Tuesday’s event. (Nevada Department of Corrections)
The recent fatalities follow the deaths of two other inmates, aged 38 and 49, at Ely State Prison in April and May of this year, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
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In December 2022, a group of inmates staged a hunger strike, protesting what advocates and some family members deemed as unsafe living conditions and insufficient food portions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
