Giovanni Perez, 37, fatally shot his 11-year-old son Callan Perez multiple times inside a restroom at Elko Regional Airport at 975 Terminal Way in Elko, Nevada, on Monday April 13, 2026 before turning the gun on himself near the airline ticket counter in an apparent murder-suicide.
Elko Police Department officers responded to reports of an active shooter around 12:38 p.m. and found Giovanni Perez deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound near the ticket counter. Bystanders directed officers to the restroom, where they located Callan suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The boy was transported to Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital but later died from his injuries.
The father and son had been traveling together when their rental vehicle broke down outside Winnemucca. They were towed to Elko to obtain another vehicle and entered the airport. According to investigators, the pair went into the restroom twice. During the second visit Giovanni Perez shot Callan for reasons that remain unknown. Giovanni then exited the restroom and fatally shot himself near the ticket counter. No other individuals were injured in the incident inside the small regional airport terminal.
Giovanni Perez had been struggling with PTSD from his time in the military and was in the midst of a custody dispute, according to family and investigators. The family hailed from the Merced area in California. Callan Perez was described by those who knew him as a bright and active boy. The tragedy unfolded in the public areas of Elko Regional Airport, a hub for northeastern Nevada travel that serves commercial and general aviation flights.
Elko Police Department and the Elko County Coroner’s Office have classified the deaths of Callan Perez and Giovanni Perez as a murder-suicide. The airport was temporarily closed while the bomb squad cleared the suspect’s vehicle as a precaution. No explosives were found. The investigation confirmed the sequence of events through witness statements, surveillance, and evidence at the scene in the terminal at 975 Terminal Way.
The Elko and northeastern Nevada communities have been left stunned by the murder-suicide at Elko Regional Airport. Local residents and airport staff described the event as deeply disturbing in a small regional terminal that serves as a gateway for the area. Support has poured in for the extended family of Callan Perez as the region processes the sudden loss on April 13, 2026.
