An incident that occurred on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus on Wednesday afternoon resulted in three fatalities and one injury, according to authorities. Police later on Wednesday stated that there was no continuing threat to the community after the suspect was killed by officers who raced to the UNLV scene.
According to two law enforcement sources who spoke to CBS News, the gunman was a white male in his sixties who used to teach in Georgia and North Carolina.
At a press conference on Wednesday night, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill stated that although the suspect’s identity is known, the victims’ families will not be informed before the suspect’s identity is made public. However, KLAS-TV, a CBS Las Vegas affiliate, claims that its sources named him as Anthony “Tony” Polito. According to the sources, Polito applied for a job at the university recently but was not hired. According to KLAS sources, he might have also been connected to someone who works on campus.
Polito was an assistant professor at East Carolina University’s College of Business, specifically in the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, the university informed CBS News. In 2017, he left his position as a tenured associate professor. He graduated from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in 1991 with an MBA and from the University of Georgia in 2002 with a Ph.D. in business administration.
McMahill had stated earlier in the day that the motive of the suspect remained unknown to the police.
At approximately 11:45 a.m. local time, the first call regarding the active shooter was received, according to McMahill. Metropolitan and university police responded right away, killing the suspect outside of Beam Hall. The fourth floor of the building is where the shooting started.
Apart from the trio of fatalities, an individual suffering from a gunshot wound was admitted to a nearby hospital. According to McMahill, the individual’s condition was stable. Four additional individuals were admitted to the hospital due to panic episodes.
While looking for additional victims in the buildings and rooms on campus, two police officers suffered minor injuries, according to McMahill.
According to McMahill, there was a get-together outside Beam Hall at the time of the attack where people were eating and assembling Lego sets. He claimed that if the responding police had not “raced to the campus” in a matter of minutes and made armed contact, there might have been a lot more fatalities.
According to McMahill, the incident was “a heinous, unforgivable crime” and no student should have to fear following their dreams on a college campus.
Trauma medical director Chris Fisher of Sunrise Hospital Trauma Center stated that the facility had received three patients from the shooting on Wednesday afternoon.
At a press conference in the afternoon, Clark County Fire Chief John C. Steinbeck announced the opening of a reunification center at the campus’ North Hall for families who are unable to get in touch with their loved ones.
An FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives representative told CBS News that the agencies were responding to the Metropolitan Police’s investigation and offering support.
Adam Garcia, the head of university police, stated at the evening press conference that UNLV will stay closed for the week and that further decisions will be made regarding whether it will reopen on Monday.
In a statement released on Wednesday, President Biden mentioned the shooting and urged action to address “the epidemic of gun violence we face.”
The statement from Mr. Biden also mentioned the shooting deaths that occurred in Austin and San Antonio, Texas. “Just hours ago, the University of Nevada at Las Vegas got the latest college campus to be frightened by a horrific act of gun violence,” the president stated.
“Despite all the steps we have taken since I became president, the epidemic of gun violence requires us to take additional action. Mr. Biden wrote, “But we cannot do more without Congress,” pleading with Republican lawmakers to support the passage of legislation enacting, among other things, a ban on assault weapons and universal background checks.
The news was hailed by Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman as “tragic and heartbreaking.”
“Praying for everyone on campus as the authorities respond to the situation,” she wrote in a message.
Brian Sandoval, president of the university, described today as “an unimaginably sorrowful and shocking day for the whole state.”
“We extend our sincere condolences and send our best wishes to the families of the numerous victims of this horrific tragedy. We are all Rebels today and in the days to come,” Sandoval posted on social media.