LAS VEGAS – A wounded security guard shot back and killed a public transit passenger who opened fire when he was kicked off a bus on the Las Vegas Strip early Monday morning, police said.

Authorities said the shooting happened a little before 2 a.m. in front of the Paris casino in the heart of the tourist district. Part of the Strip was closed to traffic in the hours after the security officer was left with injuries that didn’t appear to be life-threatening, Lt. Dennis O’Brien said.

Investigators said a security officer contracted by the Regional Transportation Commission told a passenger to get off the bus because of some kind of a disturbance.

The man then pulled a handgun and shot the security officer multiple times, police said.

The officer fired back, fatally wounding the man whose identity has not yet been released.

Both men were lying on the sidewalk when officers arrived, police said. The guard was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition.

Regional Transportation Commission General Manager Tina Quigley declined to comment on the details of the shooting, citing the pending investigation. But her agency issued a statement saying officials’ prayers and condolences were with the families of those involved and that the safety of passengers is their highest priority.