Date: January 9, 2025, 04:33h. 

Last updated on: January 9, 2025, 04:33h.

The suspect accused of fatally stabbing two individuals and injuring six others on the Las Vegas Strip may face the death penalty if found guilty, as per court filings.

The defendant, Yoni Barrios, 34, previously from California, is set to appear in court on Thursday on 15 charges, including murder, attempted murder, battery, and terror, related to the October 6, 2022 stabbings.

Prosecutors May Soon Disclose Penalty

Prosecutors involved in the case could announce on Thursday whether they will pursue the death penalty if a conviction is secured, per Las Vegas TV station KLAS.

The incident unfolded when Barrios approached street performers, who were dressed as showgirls, near the Wynn Las Vegas. He asked them to pose for a photo while holding a large knife.

He alleged they refused and began laughing at him. He then stabbed two performers and went on to attack six others, according to prosecutors.

Two victims, Brent Hallett, 47, from Canada, and Maris DiGiovanni, 30, from Las Vegas, succumbed to their injuries.

Initially deemed incompetent to stand trial, Barrios was deemed competent by Clark County District Court Judge Christy Craig after two years of psychiatric treatment. He was subsequently indicted by a Clark County grand jury.

Craig concluded that Barrios now comprehends the charges against him and can aid his defense team.

The surviving victims later stated that the women were not laughing but were scared, per news accounts.

Barrios was apprehended by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers following the assaults. He informed police that he was living in California and was selling knives to raise money to return home, according to KLAS.

Prior to the stabbings, Barrios tried to secure a janitorial position at the Wynn Las Vegas, as reported by KLAS.

Undocumented Migrant

Reports by the New York Post indicated that Barrios had previously worked as a stripper and was an undocumented migrant from Guatemala, as per the Post.

During a campaign rally in Minden, Nev., on October 8, 2023, Donald Trump labeled Barrios a “sadistic murderer” engaged in a “heinous” stabbing spree.

The perpetrator was an illegal alien with a criminal record a mile long in California,” Trump added. “But the bloodthirsty killer was unknown to law enforcement because of California’s barbaric sanctuary city policies.”

Nevada has provisions for the execution of certain convicts. The state’s last execution was in 2006, with Daryl Mack being executed for a 1988 sexual assault and murder in Reno.