Las Vegas police have arrested two men in connection with the shooting death of 29-year-old bartender Hope Ritter. The suspects, identified as Philip Strong, 18, and Charles Wright, 20, were booked into the Clark County Detention Center on February 21. They face charges of open murder with a deadly weapon.
Ritter was found in her car near Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard with multiple gunshot wounds. Authorities say she was chatting with a friend when Strong and Wright walked past them and fired shots into the car. Ritter died at the scene.
Ritter, an employee at Atomic Liquors located just a few blocks from the shooting, was remembered by her coworkers and the community. The company posted a heartfelt message on Facebook, saying, “Hope’s warm presence touched the lives of our regular patrons and the entire downtown community. Her loss is a profound one.”
Family, friends, and coworkers gathered on Sunday for a memorial honoring Ritter’s life.
Strong and Wright are scheduled for their initial court appearance tomorrow in Las Vegas Justice Court.
