Three people were killed and one person was injured in a shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Wednesday, police said. The suspect is also deceased, according to authorities.
Police first received reports of an active shooter at the school around 11:45 a.m. local time, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a press conference Wednesday evening. Upon arriving at the scene, police immediately engaged the suspect, who was struck and is deceased, McMahill said.
The suspect has been identified as Anthony Polito, a 67-year-old man who previously applied for a position at UNLV and was not hired, two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the case told NBC News on Thursday. The job rejection was not recent, so officials remain unsure about his motive, NBC News reported.
The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner on Thursday released the names of two people killed in the shooting: ChaJan “Jerry” Chang, a 64-year-old professor; and Patricia Navarro Velez, a 39-year-old assistant professor. Both victims were members of UNLV’s business school faculty, the university confirmed.
Officials have identified the third victim but have not released the person’s name as they work to notify next of kin. The third victim was also a UNLV faculty member, according to the university.
A fourth person shot in the attack remains hospitalized in life-threatening condition, officials said during a press conference on Thursday. The injured person — a 38-year-old male — was previously described by officials as being in stable condition during a press conference on Wednesday evening.
UNLV President Keith Whitfield said in a statement on Thursday:
Yesterday was the most difficult day in the history of our university. Words are still hard to come by as we’re only beginning to process the grief, loss, anger, and fear associated with Wednesday’s tragic campus shooting that took the lives of three of our cherished faculty members. Another faculty member remains hospitalized. … My heart breaks for the families, friends, and loved ones of Dr. Navarro and Dr. Chang, and for all of the victims of this senseless act of violence that has physically and emotionally affected so many.
Four additional people were transported to nearby hospitals after suffering panic attacks and two police officers were treated for minor injuries, police said Wednesday.
Officials said the shooting originated on the fourth floor of Beam Hall, which houses the Lee Business School. The suspect was killed outside the building, according to authorities.
Three students who spoke to NBC News said they were giving a presentation in class on campus when the shooting happened. One said they felt like “a large target” thinking about what would happen if the shooter had entered the building.
“There were also 90% windows, not a lot of walls to hide behind, so that was quite concerning,” another student said. UNLV is roughly 3 miles from the location of the deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S. history. In 2017, a gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel into the crowd at the Route 91 music festival, killing 58 people and injuring roughly 500 others. The U.S. hit a grim milestone on gun violence on Sunday, with 38 recorded mass killings involving guns this year, defined as shootings in which four people or more are killed, not including the shooter. “Just as our nation hit a devastating record for mass shootings this year, students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas — who have been subject to active shooter drills since childhood — will feel the ripple effects of today for the rest of their lives,” said Kris Brown, the president of gun reform advocacy group Brady, said in a statement. “We should not accept a reality where an entire generation of Americans are defined by the constant threat of gun violence.” Hayley Miller contributed reporting.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
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