John Noble Once Won a Lifetime Supply of Buffet Stops, But M Resort Revoked the Pass after an Incident
A man who committed suicide at a Las Vegas casino on Easter Sunday had a long history of disputes with the resort and had been banned from the complex. The man, who shot and killed himself in the buffet line at a suburban Las Vegas casino, set off a panic in taking his own life.
The death took place at the M Resorts Spa and Casino in Henderson. Locals and tourists were dining at the packed Eastern buffet at around 5pm on Sunday when the man opened fire upon himself. The 53-year old man died instantly. He appears to have started a car fire in the parking garage outside M Resort.
One Woman’s Story
Marina Rizk, a 21-year old Los Angeles college student, had waited in line at the buffet for a hour to eat. Rizk said in a phone interview with the Associated Press that she had just finished eating and was standing outside the restaurant in the casino gaming area with friends when the incident happened. People suddenly emerged from the restaurant, shouting about a man with a gun in the buffet line.
Rizk said, “There were people in Easter dress.”
The student described the chaotic scene which ensued shortly afterwards. She ran out of the casino, informing others along the way that a gunman was inside. Marina Rizk eventually hid in the bushes, but not before telling one family to find cover. She added, “I remember this one little boy. I remember telling the family, ‘Get the baby. Run. There’s a guy with a gun.‘”
Two Injured in the Panic
Besides the suicide, no other shots were fired. During the panic, two people suffered minor injuries. One person was sent to the hospital after suffering a fall in panicked flight, while a second patron was given medical clearance after being checked out at the scene for minor injuries.
M Resort did not return calls or an email from the AP, when asked about the incident. The Las Vegas Review Journal received a suicide letter in the mail Monday reportedly from the man who died in the incident. According to the Review Journals’s chief editor, Michael Hengel, the package was received from a man named John Noble.
John Noble Sent Package to Newspaper
Though police have not released the name of the dead man, Hengel said the newspaper was able to confirm Noble was involved in the M Resort tragedy by matching police incident report numbers.
Free Lifetime Supply of Buffet Meals
According to the newspaper, John Noble had a long history with the M Resort and its buffet. In September 2010, Noble received a free lifetime gift of daily buffet meals at the restaurant. In 2013, the lifetime supply of buffet meals was revoked by the casino management, because they alleged Noble had harassed several female employees of the restaurant in question.
During that time, John Noble had contacted the Las Vegas Review Journal to complain about (what he considered to be his) mistreatment. After receiving several emails about his ban, the paper sent reporter Adam Kealoha Causey to interview John Noble in December 2013.
2013 Interview on Buffet Ban
Causey, who is now an editor at the paper, told the AP, “He just felt like he had been wronged in the situation, because he had won the contest to get the free meals, and now he wasn’t getting them.”
According to ABC News, the package sent to the newspaper contained nearly 300 pages and was 2 inches thick. Along with his writings, John Noble sent a DVD and photos.
Police to Talk to Newspaper Staff
Michelle French, a spokesperson for the Henderson Police Department, said the Review-Journal contacted her office and reported the package. Investigators plan on meeting the newspaper to review the contents.
A suicide inside a cafeteria, even if no one was threatened, assures that a certain number of patrons are going to be traumatized. One might castigate John Noble for such a selfish act, but anyone who kills themselves over a buffet likely is dealing with distorted thinking. In such cases, it is best to feel pity for the suicidal person, while hoping those who were traumatized by the death scene can get the counseling they need. John Noble’s story is sad, however one chooses to look at it.
