Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill paid tribute to the decorated service record of officer Austin Abdelnabi on Wednesday, a day after he was shot by a gunman in East Las Vegas.

“Here’s a hero that served this country, was awarded at the top levels, a hero that came to Metro, responded to a call for service of a man with a gun, was ambushed as he gets out of his car, and he gave his life and sacrificed for this community,” McMahill said. “I don’t think enough can be said for the brave men and women that strap on this gun belt, put this uniform on, and go out there and answer that call.”

Abdelnabi, 30, died Tuesday afternoon following a gun battle with an armed suspect, who was also killed. Abdelnabi had responded to a call about a man with a gun at 3:57 p.m. Tuesday near the 4500 block of East Tropicana Avenue.

McMahill described Abdelnabi, who was born in Greenville, South Carolina, as a “young, heroic man,” noting his accomplishments, first as a Marine before joining Metro in November 2023.

“He was known for his giant personality, always laughing even when his field training officers were trying to provide guidance,” McMahill said. “Austin was also known for talking about how much he loved his wife, Sage.”

A short distance away from McMahill’s update at Metro headquarters, a team of officers gathered outside the Clark County coroner’s office building, near Shadow and Pinto lanes. Sgt. David Stoddard said Abdelnabi’s body was being taken to the Palm Mortuary-Downtown.

Several officers loaded a coffin into a white Cadillac hearse outside the coroner’s office building shortly after 12 p.m. The hearse was led by a procession of 10 Metro motorcycle officers and was followed by first responder vehicles from several local agencies, including Metro and the University Police Department, fire trucks from Clark County, Henderson and Las Vegas, a Boulder City Fire Department ambulance, and others.

McMahill said Abdelnabi was first stationed at Camp Pendleton, where he was assigned to Weapons Company, Second Battalion, First Marine Division, before serving as a 50-caliber machine gunner during his second deployment.

He also served in Japan and Africa, receiving the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Abdelnabi is survived by his wife, parents, two brothers and a sister.

In a Facebook post, Abdelnabi’s brother, Ryan, remembered him as someone “who dedicated his life to serving something greater than himself.”

“He believed in protecting others, even when it came at great personal risk,” Ryan Abdelnabi wrote. “That wasn’t just his profession—it was his character. He lived a life defined by courage, honor, loyalty, and selfless service.”

McMahill said an announcement about the funeral arrangements would be made in the upcoming days and that the Injured Police Officers Fund for now would serve as the official fundraising organization to support Abdelnabi’s family.

He added that body-camera footage and additional evidence could be released Friday.

While he did not identify the gunman, McMahill said law enforcement had previous encounters with him, though none were criminal in nature.

McMahill said resources were available to help officers grieve and process Tuesday’s tragic events.

“As I delivered the news of Austin’s death to a large group of officers at UMC and at the crime scene yesterday, I had to remind them that it’s OK to not be OK,” the sheriff said. “This is a tough job, and seeing one of your fellow police officers killed in the line of duty is something that will impact you for the rest of your life. I made sure that they understood from me that it’s OK to cry, to mourn, to feel and to honor the life of their friend.”

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