Police identify father and son in apparent murder-suicide at Nevada airport
ELKO, Nevada (KIFI) — A tragic shooting at Nevada's Elko Regional Airport on Monday is being investigated as a murder-suicide involving a father and his young son. The Elko Police Department identified the alleged shooter on Tuesday as Giovanni Perez and the victim as his son, Callan Perez.
On April 13, 2026, around 12:38 PM, officers responded to reports of an active shooter at the small regional airport. Police arrived on the scene and found Giovanni Perez dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound near the airline ticket counter.
Inside a nearby restroom, officers found Callan Perez suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by Fire and EMS and transport to North Eastern Nevada Regional Hospital, the boy died of his injuries.
Investigators determined that the pair had been traveling together when their rental vehicle broke down near Winnemucca, Nevada. The two were then towed to the Elko Airport to get another rental car.
According to a news release, the pair entered the airport restroom, then came back out, before entering the restroom together for a second time. For some unknown reason, police say Giovanni shot his son inside the restroom before walking to the ticket counter and turning the gun on himself.
"The Elko Police Department would like to express our deepest condolences to the family of Callan Perez," the department shared in a news release. "No family should ever have to experience a loss like this."
Due to the unexplained nature of the attack, police called in the Elko Bomb Squad to sweep the scene and the original rental vehicle for explosives. Fortunately, none were found.
The incident caused a total shutdown of the airport, affecting all inbound and outbound flights. The airport typically services one to two flights daily to Salt Lake City. It is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday afternoon, April 14th.
In an interview with Salt Lake City’s Fox13, Elko Police Lt. Shane Daz emphasized the emotional toll on the small town.
"In a tight-knit community like this, people get very upset," Lt. Daz said. "It's hard for them to process this tragedy… we start to put ourselves in that position when there is a juvenile involved."
The investigation remains ongoing. The Elko Police Department urges anyone struggling with mental health or thoughts of self-harm to contact a professional or call the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
