A 20-year-old Nevada woman who authorities say “had a fascination with firearms” is accused of fatally shooting her boyfriend while he was photographing her holding a gun. Allysandra Blea was arrested last week and charged with one count of open murder in the death of 23-year-old Mark Gaughan, authorities said.
According to a news release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded to a report of a man being shot in the 1000 block of Nassau Drive around 4:47 a.m. on August 23.
Blea called 911 and informed the dispatcher that there had been a “accidental shooting,” according to Las Vegas CBS affiliate KLAS.
When first responders arrived at the address, they discovered a man, later identified as Gaughan, lying on the sidewalk with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the neck.
Police provided lifesaving aid until emergency medical personnel arrived and took over. Gaughan succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide detectives took over the investigation.
“Detectives learned the victim was taking pictures of 20-year-old Allysandra Blea posing with a firearm by a vehicle,” a press release says. “During the photo shoot the gun discharged and the victim was shot.”
Investigators allegedly discovered Polaroid photos at the scene, one of which depicted a second woman (not Blea) holding a knife while Blea was “lying back [on the second woman] holding a black firearm that was pointed at her mouth with her finger on the trigger.” A second photo allegedly showed Blea with her finger on the firearm’s trigger.
The second woman described what she remembered from the incident.
“[She] recalled Allysandra situated on her lap with the firearm, as Mark took a photo with the flash going off,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, citing a probable cause affidavit. [She] saw another flash, and Allysandra pointed the firearm at Mark. She said she didn’t see Allysandra pull the trigger, but she heard the gunshot.”
A fourth person sleeping in the house at the time told police he had previously worked at a gun store and remembered “removing the magazine and clearing the chamber” from the firearm earlier that evening. Blea and the other woman suggested that Gaughan put the gun back together while they were changing before taking the photos.
As the investigation progressed, police allegedly discovered some disturbing social media posts by Blea about her love of guns.
“Allysandra’s identified account revealed that she was fascinated with firearms. “In several conversations with various accounts, there was talk about her love of shooting guns, owning guns, building her arsenal, and shooting people in the face,” the affidavit claimed. “There were several photographs of Allysandra holding various firearms (handguns, revolvers and rifles) in different poses to include the firearm pressed against her head, against stuffed animals’ heads and shooting bottles at an unknown location.”
Police also claimed that in one online comment, Blea wrote, “I wish I could shoot people with real guns and get away with it.”
Blea made her first appearance in the Las Vegas Justice Court on Tuesday. A judge denied her request for bond.
