The Man Who Shot and Killed Three Faculty Members at University of Nevada, Las Vegas Identified as Failed Professor, Anthony Polito

Accident – death – Obituary News : Tragic Shooting at University of Nevada, Las Vegas: Failed Professor Kills Three Faculty Members

In a shocking turn of events, a 67-year-old professor, Anthony Polito, opened fire at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) on Wednesday, killing three faculty members and injuring another. Polito, who had been living in a Las Vegas suburb, was eventually killed by the police during a shootout that ensued after his rampage.

Authorities have revealed that Polito himself was a professor who had been unsuccessful in securing several job positions at colleges in the state. Prior to the shooting, Polito had mailed 22 letters to employees at various universities across the country, including one that contained an unknown white powder. The contents of the remaining letters are yet to be discovered.

The gunman used a 9-millimeter handgun during the attack and had brought along 11 magazines, two of which were already emptied by the time he was killed. The Clark County coroner’s office has identified two of the victims as Patricia Navarro Velez, 39, an assistant professor of accounting, and Cha Jan Chang, 64, a professor of management information systems. The identity of the third faculty member is being withheld until their family has been notified.

According to Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Polito had previously taught at the business school at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, for nearly 16 years before leaving in 2017. While the exact motive behind the shooting remains unclear, Polito had compiled a list of individuals he intended to target at UNLV and East Carolina University. However, none of those individuals were actually shot during the attack.

Financial troubles seemed to have plagued Polito, as officers discovered an eviction notice on his front door when they arrived at his apartment. The shooting has sent shockwaves throughout the UNLV campus, one of Nevada’s largest colleges, especially as students were preparing for their final exams scheduled for the following week.

The police response to the incident was swift, with a UNLV police officer arriving within 78 seconds of the initial call about a shooter on campus. Other officers soon followed, immediately entering the building. While the exact movements of the officers and the gunman remain unclear due to the absence of security cameras in the hallways, Polito eventually exited the building approximately 10 minutes after the first report of gunfire. He was confronted by a police officer, leading to a shootout that ended with the officer fatally shooting Polito.

Students, who had been exiting their classes when the gunshots rang out, sought refuge in classrooms, turning off the lights to hide. The business school, located in the heart of the campus and adjacent to the Student Union, was bustling with activity at the time, with students enjoying food and participating in a Lego-building event aimed at helping them relax before their final exams.

Sheriff McMahill commended the heroic actions of the police officer who stopped the gunman, stating that Polito had approximately 150 rounds of ammunition on him at the time of his death. It is believed that had he not been stopped, Polito may have continued his attack at the Student Union.

As investigations continue, it has been revealed that Polito resided in the Promontory Point apartments in Henderson, a suburban city south of Las Vegas. The apartment complex remained quiet following the incident, with caution tape cordoning off the section where Polito’s apartment was located.

The shooting has left the UNLV campus feeling eerie and desolate, with police cruisers scattered throughout the grounds. Students like David Lenzin, a 25-year-old computer engineering student from Calgary, Alberta, who returned to collect his belongings from a design competition on the day of the shooting, described the campus as empty and filled with crestfallen faces.

For many students, the shooting serves as a grim reminder of the 2017 attack at a country music concert nearby, which remains the deadliest in modern American history. UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield expressed his sorrow over the tragedy and emphasized the need to address security concerns on campus.

Despite this tragic event, President Whitfield has stated that he does not intend to close off the campus but will explore additional security measures, such as installing more security cameras. The UNLV community remains in mourning as they try to come to terms with this devastating incident.

Note: This article has been expanded and modified to provide more depth and detail..