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2023 University of Nevada, Las Vegas shooting

Coordinates: 36°06′28″N 115°08′38″W / 36.10779°N 115.14376°W / 36.10779; -115.14376
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University of Nevada, Las Vegas shooting
The Frank and Estella Beam Hall at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the scene of the shooting
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150m
160yds
1
LocationUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas
Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
Coordinates36°06′28″N 115°08′38″W / 36.10779°N 115.14376°W / 36.10779; -115.14376
DateDecember 6, 2023; 12 months ago (2023-12-06)
c. 11:45 a.m. - 11:55 a.m. PST
Attack type
School shooting, mass shooting, shootout
Weapon9mm Taurus PT92 semi-automatic pistol[1]
Deaths4 (including the perpetrator)
Injured3
PerpetratorAnthony James “Tony” Polito
MotiveJob rejection from UNLV

On December 6, 2023, a shooting occurred at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Three people were killed, and three additional people were wounded. Two of the wounded were police officers. The perpetrator was killed in a shootout with police.

Background

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The Frank and Estella Beam Hall is one of UNLV's instructional buildings and the primary building for the Lee Business School.[2] The shooting occurred about three miles (5 km) from the Mandalay Bay casino, which six years earlier was the site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.[3]

Shooting

[edit]

Anthony "Tony" Polito arrived at the UNLV campus at around 11:30 a.m. PST and was armed with a legally purchased Taurus 9mm handgun and 11 loaded magazines.[4][5] Fifteen minutes later, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department received a call about a shooter in the Frank and Estella Beam Hall.[6] Officers reportedly entered the hall after about a minute from the first 911 call.[5] The shooter reportedly started on the fourth floor of the hall and made his way down several other floors.[3] A witness in the hall said that he and others were confused after an alarm went off in the building, but evacuated after hearing someone scream "there's a gun".[7]

Eight minutes later, UNLV posted a Twitter message that police were responding to reports of gunshots, warning students at the Beam Hall to "evacuate to a safe area." Approximately twenty minutes later, the university reported additional gunshots at the Student Union building.[8]

At around 11:55 a.m., Polito exited the building, and was killed in a shootout with police.[9][10] He was shot six times in the face, neck, chest, abdomen, elbow, and leg, and an autopsy found that he had erectile dysfunction medication and oxycodone in his system.[11]

Victims

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Three faculty members were killed and another faculty member was wounded during the shooting.[12][13] Two of those killed were faculty members at the Lee Business School: Patricia Navarro-Velez, Accounting Professor, aged 39, and Cha Jan (Jerry) Chang, MIS Professor, aged 64. The third victim, Naoko Takemaru, aged 69, was an associate professor of Japanese Studies at UNLV's College of Liberal Arts.[14]

The wounded faculty member was identified as a 38-year-old visiting professor who sustained critical injuries. His condition was downgraded to "life threatening" the day after the attack.[15] On September 10th, 2024, the victim was officially identified as Professor Bot Rith at a campuswide meeting to start the new academic year.[16] Two police officers sustained minor wounds during a shootout with the perpetrator.[17] Some people were also treated after suffering panic attacks.[18]

Perpetrator

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Anthony James "Tony" Polito (c. 1956 – December 6, 2023) was identified as the shooter. He was raised in North Carolina and had served as a tenured associate professor of business at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina from 2001 to 2017. Afterward, Polito moved to Nevada where he served later on as an adjunct professor of business at Roseman University of Health Sciences in Henderson, Nevada from 2018 to 2022. He had applied to be a professor at various schools throughout Nevada, including UNLV, but all his applications were unsuccessful.[15] According to his former employers, Polito resigned from East Carolina University as a tenured associate professor, and lost his job at Roseman when the school discontinued the Master of Business Administration program in which he taught.[19] In his CV, Polito listed another stint with East Carolina University (1992–1994), as well as five years with the University of Georgia (1994–1999), two years with the University of Northern Iowa from (1999–2001), and a semester with Brenau University (1999), all working as a professor of business.[20]

Polito maintained a "target list" of people against whom he was seeking retribution, including colleagues from his former employer, East Carolina University.[4] Police confirmed that none of the victims of the shooting were on the "target list".[21]

Past students at East Carolina claimed that he fixated on negative reviews by students on the website Rate My Professors and would claim to know who they were and point out specific seats in the classroom.[15] Polito was very active on social media, with online writings showing an interest in Las Vegas, the state of Nevada and conspiracy theories. He posted on his personal website conspiracy theories focusing on Powerful Organizations Bent on Global Domination, with the Trilateral Commission being an example of one such organization. He was a member of the high-IQ society Mensa International.[5]

Investigation

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting local police. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, University Police Services, the United States Marshals Service, and the FBI investigated the shooting.[22] An investigation of his apartment found ammunition and an eviction notice, and removed several computers and hard drive components. About two dozen letters were identified as mailed by Polito shortly before the shooting to multiple university personnel across the country. Some of the letters were identified as containing harmless white powder, such as talc.[5][23]

Aftermath

[edit]

UNLV established a reunification center in the north hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center[24] and an emergency hotline.[25] Administrators canceled classes for the rest of the week after the shooting and began a conversation about how to proceed with finals that had been set to start the week after the shooting.[3] By December 8, UNLV President Keith Whitfield had announced that in-person classes for the rest of 2023 and the semester finals were canceled, due to the physical and emotional trauma that the campus had suffered.[26]

The College of Southern Nevada closed its campuses.[27] Interstate 15 was closed to allow access for first responders.[28] The UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball game against the Dayton Flyers was canceled.[29] A ground stop was issued at nearby Harry Reid International Airport due to a security incident.[30]

Reactions

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White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the federal government was monitoring the shooting. President Joe Biden was previously scheduled to visit Las Vegas days later.[31] The Mayor of Las Vegas, Carolyn Goodman, called the shooting "tragic and heartbreaking" in a tweet, stating that she was "praying for everyone on campus as law enforcement responds to the situation."[32] Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto urged constituents to avoid the area.[33]

The president of the American Association of University Professors, Irene Mulvey, issued a statement mourning the victims who died in "senseless violence", and calling for gun reform. This statement was echoed by the president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, as well as the Nevada Faculty Alliance. They decried the violence and called for gun reform.[26]

On the day of the shooting, the Vegas Golden Knights stood in a moment of silence prior to their game against the St. Louis Blues at T-Mobile Arena. Four days following the shooting, the Golden Knights honored the victims of the shooting in a ceremony prior to their game against the San Jose Sharks. The Golden Knights wore special T-shirts during walk-ins to honor the victims, as well as their families. The team also wore special helmet decals during the game, and offered a moment of silence.[34]

Due to the shooting, the National Finals Rodeo cancelled the event's kickoff scheduled for December 7, 2023, and participated in a moment of silence on December 8, 2023.[35]

The Las Vegas Raiders observed a moment of silence prior to kickoff during a game against the Minnesota Vikings on December 10, 2023. Maxx Crosby carried a UNLV flag to the midfield to fly next to the flag of the United States of America.[36]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Gorman, Steve (December 8, 2023). "Las Vegas campus gunman described as struggling academic with 'target list'". Reuters.
  2. ^ Li, David (December 6, 2023). "Beam Hall is one of the campus' primary classroom buildings". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Hughes, Trevor; Carless, Will; Nguyen, Thao (December 7, 2023). "Tears, frantic texts: Survivors of Las Vegas campus shooting recount trauma and tragedy". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Roberts, Alyssa (December 7, 2023). "Sheriff: UNLV gunman had list of targets, brought handgun and 11 magazines to campus". Channel 13 Las Vegas News KTNV. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d Wolfe, Elizabeth; Romine, Taylor; Croft, Jay (December 8, 2023). "Details emerge about UNLV gunman who killed 3 faculty members as investigators search for his motive. Here's what we know". CNN. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  6. ^ Jiménez, Jesus (December 6, 2023). "Shooter Injures 3 at U.N.L.V., Then Dies After Confrontation With Police". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  7. ^ Lee, Jaclyn (December 7, 2023). "'Oh God, this is real': UNLV student describes being at 'ground zero' of campus shooting". ABC News. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  8. ^ Yousif, Nadine (December 6, 2023). "UNLV shooting: Police respond to active shooting on Las Vegas campus". BBC News. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  9. ^ Cohen, Rebecca; Blankstein, Andrew (December 6, 2023). "Las Vegas police say the suspect has died". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  10. ^ Bleakley, Caroline; Overton, Stephanie (December 6, 2023). "3 dead, 1 in stable condition after shooting on UNLV campus, suspect dead". KLAS. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  11. ^ Schladebeck, Jessica (July 2, 2024). "UNLV gunman had erectile dysfunction meds, oxycodone in system". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  12. ^ Margolin, Josh; Shapiro, Emily; Pereira, Ivan (December 6, 2023). "UNLV shooting: At least 3 fatalities: Source". ABC News. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  13. ^ Yamat, Rio; Finley, Ben (December 7, 2023). "All UNLV shooting victims were faculty members, university says". KCRA. Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  14. ^ "All three victims of campus shooting identified as UNLV professors". KTNV-TV. December 7, 2023. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c Finley, Ken; Yamat, Rio (December 7, 2023). "UNLV gunman had list of targets at the university and 150 rounds of ammunition, police say". AP News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  16. ^ McCabe, Francis (November 13, 2024). "'I Have Been Profoundly Transformed'". UNLV. UNLV News Center. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  17. ^ Hammond, Elise; Vogt, Adrienne; Powell, Tori B.; Vera, Amir (December 6, 2023). "Victims have been transported to local hospitals, police say". CNN. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  18. ^ Byon, Irene; Cohen, Rebecca (December 6, 2023). "Sunrise Hospital Trauma Center received 1 patient from UNLV shooting". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  19. ^ Verastigue, Justine (December 6, 2023). "What we know about Anthony Polito, the deceased UNLV gunman". KTNV-TV. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  20. ^ "Tony Polito's Curriculum vitae" (PDF). December 11, 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  21. ^ Yamat, Rio; Finley, Ben (December 7, 2023). "UNLV gunman had list of targets at the university and 150 rounds of ammunition, police say". AP News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  22. ^ Cohen, Rebecca (December 6, 2023). "Las Vegas Metro Police and University Police Services handling shooting investigation". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  23. ^ Deliso, Meredith; Stone, Alex; Starr, Alyssa (December 8, 2023). "Suspect in UNLV shooting had more than 150 rounds of ammunition: Police". ABC News. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  24. ^ Cohen, Rebecca; Li, David (December 6, 2023). "UNLV setting up reunification center for students". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  25. ^ Arkin, Daniel (December 6, 2023). "Emergency hotline set up after UNLV shooting". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  26. ^ a b Shermele, Zachary; Nurse, Krystal; Collins, Michael; Arshad, Minnah (December 8, 2023). "Third victim ID'd in UNLV shooting as college professors decry 'national menace'". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  27. ^ Cohen, Rebecca (December 6, 2023). "College of Southern Nevada closes campuses". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  28. ^ Cohen, Rebecca (December 6, 2023). "I-15 North is closed for first responders, officials say". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  29. ^ Li, David (December 6, 2023). "UNLV men's basketball game at Dayton called off". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  30. ^ Cohen, Rebecca (December 6, 2023). "Ground stop at Harry Reid International Airport". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  31. ^ Waldenberg, Samantha (December 6, 2023). "White House monitoring shooting at UNLV". CNN. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  32. ^ Smart, Sara; Hammond, Elise (December 6, 2023). "Local officials react to "tragic and heartbreaking" shooting on university campus". CNN. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  33. ^ Cohen, Rebecca (December 6, 2023). "Nevada senators in contact with law enforcement about campus shooting". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  34. ^ Detwiler, Christopher (December 10, 2023). "Golden Knights honor victims of UNLV shooting with pregame ceremony". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  35. ^ Velotta, Richard N. (December 8, 2023). "Visitors understanding of NFR setback resulting from UNLV tragedy". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  36. ^ Hill, Adam (December 10, 2023). "Raiders report: AJ Cole's record-setting performance not enough". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.


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