The man police identified as the gunman in Monday's deadly shooting at Reno's Grand Sierra Resort had been ordered to pay monthly child support just days earlier, court records reveal. Dakota Hawver, who died from police gunfire after killing three people, testified in a July 25 hearing that he earned $21 an hour at a 40-hour job, though no current employment appeared on file. This personal financial pressure emerges as investigators probe possible motives in an incident that left the resort's valet area and parking lot scarred by nearly 80 rounds of gunfire.
Recent Court Battle Over Child Support
In a Washoe County hearing on Friday, July 25, a judge directed Hawver to pay $582 monthly in child support beginning in August, plus $5,700 in backdated genetic testing fees and related costs. Hawver, the father in the paternity case, described his income during testimony but listed no active job. The child's mother, Zoe Williams, told MyNews4 she ended their relationship upon learning of the pregnancy, citing Hawver's aggressive, mean, and racist behavior. Such disputes often escalate tensions in family courts, where financial obligations intersect with personal conflicts, though no direct link to the shooting has surfaced.
Job Loss and Employment Instability
Records show Hawver worked briefly as a cannabis agent at a medical marijuana dispensary before his termination in November. The employer notified the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services in an email that Hawver was fired during his 90-day probationary period due to three unexcused callouts, two early departures without approval, and failure to check out with management at shift's end. This pattern of workplace unreliability left him without listed employment by the time of the child support ruling. Job instability in low-wage sectors like retail cannabis can compound financial stress, particularly when paired with court-mandated payments.
Shooting Details and Victim Impact
Hawver approached the Grand Sierra Resort valet area shortly before 7:25 a.m. on Monday, July 28, and fired a 9mm handgun, killing Angel Martinez, 66, of Sparks; Justin Agulia, 33, of Chatsworth, California; and Andrew Canepa, 33, of Newbury Park, California. Martinez died after Hawver ambushed his vehicle from behind a parked car in the lot. Hawver then exchanged shots with a resort security guard before Reno police officers returned fire on the northwest side of the parking lot, critically wounding him. He succumbed to injuries overnight Wednesday. Canepa and Agulia were in Reno for a bachelor party; two other group members survived with injuries, one still hospitalized.
Investigation into Motive and Broader Context
Sparks police, leading the probe, have identified no connections between Hawver and the resort or victims. His name appears in no Reno municipal or justice court criminal records. The absence of a stated motive leaves open questions about how recent stressors like the child support order factored into his actions. Mass shootings tied to personal grievances highlight risks when financial desperation or relational breakdowns go unaddressed, fueling calls for better mental health and support systems amid rising incidents of public violence. Investigators continue to analyze evidence from the barrage of approximately 80 rounds across multiple magazines.
