In brief: Murder-suicide motive unknown

Las Vegas – Police on Saturday continued their search for a motive in a murder-suicide at a busy Las Vegas Strip casino Friday night in which a man shot and fatally wounded a woman and then killed himself as gamblers fled in terror.

The incident unfolded about 8:30 p.m. near the front entrance of the Excalibur hotel-casino as a gunman shot the woman, who was a vendor at Excalibur’s concierge desk for the travel website Vegas.com. The man then turned the gun on himself and died at the scene. The woman was pronounced dead later at a hospital.

The gunman and the victim were not identified, and a police spokesman said the relationship between the two wasn’t immediately clear.

The attack happened on an unusually busy Friday night here, with Las Vegas hosting the National Finals Rodeo and other events. Police said casino patrons dropped their chips and ran toward the doors in panic when gunshots rang out.

The hotel and casino remained opened for business with investigators cordoning off the shooting scene.

Monagahan sues over contraception

Detroit – The founder of Domino’s Pizza is suing the federal government over mandatory contraception coverage in the health care law.

Tom Monaghan, a devout Roman Catholic, said contraception isn’t health care but a “gravely immoral” practice.

He filed a lawsuit Friday in federal court. It also lists as a plaintiff Domino’s Farms, a Michigan office park complex that Monaghan owns.

Monaghan offers health insurance that excludes contraception and abortion for employees. The new federal law requires employers to offer insurance including contraception coverage or risk fines.

Monaghan said the law violates his rights; he is asking a judge to strike down the mandate. Similar lawsuits are pending nationwide.