The president of the San Jose chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle club, Jeffrey "Jethro" Pettigrew, was killed this weekend during a shootout inside a Nevada casino. Officials report that Pettigrew was killed during a gun battle between members of the Hells Angels and rival gang, the Vagos club.
Mercury News reports that two Vagos members were also injured in the fight, but they are now in stable condition at a nearby hospital.
Police fear that the death of Pettigrew could spark future violence.
San Jose police Sgt. Larry Day said.
"In the outlaw motorcycle gang culture, Jeff Pettigrew was a local icon in San Jose, a very well-respected member within the ranks of the Hells Angels. This incident could definitely result in retaliation against the Vagos, and a full-blown war that may result in deadly violence in San Jose and throughout California."
Both motorcycle gangs were taking part in the "Street Vibrations" biker fest, which sees thousands of motorcycles ride across Nevada. The shooting occurred at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nevada. Sparks has cancelled its portion of events.
According to MSNBC, Mayor Geno Martini declared a state of emergency after the shooting in order to speed up federal assistance. But Martini hopes that people won't judge the motorcycle community by this incident.
Martini said:
"It's a tough situation, I hope people out there won't judge the motorcycle community by the incident last night. Whenever you have people enter our city with bad intentions, bad things are going to happen."
Update 2: Vagos Member Ernesto Manuel Gonzalez Arrested in Connection With Nevada Hells Angels Shooting
