He was supposed to have been picked-up at the bus station by one of his relatives, but was instead wandering around in the boonies. If there is a tox report it might be interesting. Or the guy may have just been dehydrated and spaced-out. Who knows? They say he went for a rifle in the police car but it was locked-up, so he would not have been able to use it.
He also could have been a diabetic and suffering from low blood sugar. If so he would have appeared and acted as if he were drunk or even high on drugs. Of course the militarized testosterone pumping LEO executing him will just play the infamous sure fire 'I was in fear for my life' get out of jail free card. Poor training but excellent execution.
The question no one can answer is why he was walking on this road pulling a roll aboard suitcase, carrying a duffle bag and a sleeping roll. Was there camping further up this road? I'm not familiar with Red Rock Canyon.
I read another article where one of the cyclists said he had seen the guy waving at them as if he was trying to stop them, but they kept going. "I thought about it later after I heard he had been shot. Maybe he just wanted some water."
That has happened to me in the Nevada desert!