Adam Roarty is a journalist covering sports betting, regulation, and industry innovation for CasinoBeats. His coverage includes tax increases in the UK, covering breaking stories in the ever-evolving landscape of US betting such as the...
Read Full BioThe biological mother of Na’onche Osborne has filed a lawsuit against the Aliante Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas, following his murder at the property. Osborne is the adopted son of ex-Nevada Senator Pat Spearman, and was shot dead at the casino in March this year.
The lawsuit alleges that casino staff could have prevented Osborne from being murdered by then 19-year-old Aerion Warmsley. CCTV footage shows security twice approaching Warmsley and an accomplice in the early hours of March 27 when the murder took place.
Willecia Calhoun, identified as Osborne’s natural mother, filed the lawsuit that claims casino staff failed “to manage, control, supervise, secure, and/or maintain the property in a reasonable and safe manner”.
It goes on to say that the shooting was “reasonably foreseeable,” but the casino failed to “have [a] sufficient number of guards in visible areas as to deter crime.”
Taking advantage of a lack of real security, a man recently dressed as casino staff to carry out a robbery at the Rampart Casino in Las Vegas.
Calhoun is seeking a jury to award damages in excess of $15,000, which is standard in Nevada civil cases. A representative for Boyd Gaming, which operates the Aliante property, previously said the company declines to comment on pending litigation.
Former Sen. Spearman is not involved in the lawsuit. Spearman adopted Osborne when he was a teenager, and her attorney Ozzie Fumo said his death is “an unimaginable loss for the senator and their family, and they are heartbroken.”
Osborne Shot On Casino Floor Following Confrontation
In the early hours of March 27, Warmsley and another man were spotted sitting in a stolen car in various locations at the casino. A security officer at the property interacted with the pair at least twice during this time.
Surveillance video, first obtained by 8 News Now, showed the incident unfolding around 4:30 a.m. on the casino floor when the two men were recorded talking with Osborne.
According to the unnamed man who accompanied Warmsley that night, Osborne “walked past us … and asked us, like, ‘Do you guys need some weed or pills?’” The two men then walked away, but Warmsley returned moments later and engaged in another conversation with Osborne.
Warmsley then pulled out a handgun and attempted to hit Osborne in the head, but missed. As Osborne tried to run, Warmsley fired, striking him in the head and causing him to fall.
Warmsley then fired six more rounds at Osborne before rummaging through his pockets and taking unknown items, police said. He then drove off in a stolen Mercedes, allegedly carjacking several people before leading police on a chase.
Warmsley Went On Carjacking Spree In Attempt To Evade Police
One carjacking victim told the jury, “He pulled a gun to my head through the window and told me to get the [expletive] out of the car. All my belongings and everything was in there. I had the door locked, and I unlocked the door, and I said, ‘Please just don’t hurt me.’”
Warmsley drove off in the car and was pursued by police on a lengthy chase. At one point, he crashed the car, colliding with a bus stop, injuring two people. The video then shows Warmsley running away from the crashed car and carjacking a woman in a Burger King drive-thru.
Police continued pursuing him for 30 minutes before he lost control of the vehicle. He then got out of the car and jumped into the backseat of a third vehicle. Dispatch radio can be heard saying, “He carjacked a vehicle — the hostage is inside — there’s — need everybody in listen up — we now have shots fired engagement — we now have a victim inside this car.”
Officers eventually rammed that car, converging on the backseat to take Warmsley into custody. The federal indictment against Warmsley also alleges he carjacked a person on March 24, several days before Osborne’s murder.
Despite the extensive video evidence, Warmsley pleaded not guilty to all charges. During a district court hearing earlier this week, prosecutors said they may seek the death penalty. That decision is left to an independent committee. The state has not put a prisoner to death since 2006.
Nevada casinos are often the location of crimes. A man was arrested in Florida earlier this month following a spate of robberies at Las Vegas casinos.
Osborne Previously Shot Adopted Family Member
Prior to his murder, Osborne had also been prosecuted for shooting a member of his adopted family. In 2022, police arrested the then 21-year-old for shooting his adopted cousin, David Spearman, the nephew of Sen. Spearman.
According to a North Las Vegas Police Department arrest report, Osborne shot Spearman after an argument over Osborne blowing marijuana smoke into the face of a 5-year-old boy.
A judge later sentenced Osborne to a year in county jail and to pay restitution for the non-fatal shooting. The police report of his arrest said the victim and his family had been experiencing issues with Osborne for more than six months leading up to the incident.
The report stated, “This has included [Osborne] making multiple threats to shoot the family and [Osborne] actually discharging a round, which traveled through the wall and into [redacted’s] room while she slept.”
One day after the shooting, Sen. Spearman commented that Osborne had made a “very poor decision.”
Warmsley is scheduled to appear in Clark County District Court on Dec. 2 for his attorneys, prosecutors, and the judge to discuss the status of his case. A trial in his federal case is scheduled for January.
