Twenty charged with gang-related crimes over deadly Nevada prison brawl

Twenty people have been charged, and the final arrest was recently made in connection with a Nevada prison brawl that left three inmates dead and five others injured. 

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said the final arrest for the deadly incident at Ely State Prison was made on March 5. In total, 20 people face multiple charges, including three counts of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon with intent to promote or assist a criminal gang, and five counts of attempted murder with the use of a deadly weapon with intent to promote or assist a criminal gang.

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“The pursuit of justice does not stop at the prison gates, and those responsible for the deaths of the three inmates at Ely State Prison will be held accountable,” Ford said in a statement. “We remain committed to ensuring that violence and misconduct within our state correctional system are met with the full force of the law.”

The brawl occurred on July 30, 2024. Three inmates died: 41-year-old Anthony Williams, 22-year-old Connor Brown and 43-year-old Zackaria Luz.

One of the people charged, Andrew Emerich, was arrested in Reno in January, 14 weeks after being released from Ely State Prison, KSNV-TV reported.

The correctional facility is described by the Nevada Department of Corrections as the “designated maximum-security prison” for the state with a capacity of 1,183 inmates. 

Around 400 staff currently work at the facility. 

In December 2022, several inmates there held a hunger strike over what advocates and some family members described as unsafe conditions and inadequate food portions. 

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.