Two Victims Identified in University of Nevada, Las Vegas Shooting: Cha Jan Chang and Patricia Navarro Velez

Accident – death – Obituary News : Two faculty members of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) have been identified as victims in the recent shooting on campus. The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner confirmed that Professor Cha Jan Chang, known as “Jerry,” and assistant professor Patricia Navarro Velez were among the victims. The identity of the third victim, also a faculty member, has not yet been released pending notification of their next of kin.

The UNLV community and the coroner’s office expressed their deepest condolences to the families affected by this tragic event. Professor Chang had been teaching at UNLV since 2001, specifically at the Lee Business School. He was a respected professor in the business department, specializing in management information systems. Throughout his career, he had numerous journal publications and was a sought-after speaker at various presentations and conferences.

Assistant professor Patricia Navarro Velez worked in the accounting department at UNLV and held a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Central Florida. Her teaching interests centered around accounting information systems, and she was certified as an information systems auditor. Her research focused on cybersecurity disclosures and assurance, internal control weakness disclosure, and data analytics.

The coroner’s office revealed that Professor Chang died from a gunshot wound to the head, while Professor Navarro Velez succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds. Both cases have been ruled as homicides.

In addition to the two identified faculty members, a 38-year-old visiting professor was injured in the shooting. The injured victim’s name has not been released, but their condition has been downgraded from critical to non-life-threatening. Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department stated that the shooter was Anthony James Polito, a 67-year-old resident of Henderson, Nevada. While a motive has not yet been determined, it was revealed that Polito had recently applied for jobs at several higher education institutions in Nevada but was denied each time. He was also facing financial difficulties.

Further investigation into Polito’s actions prior to the shooting revealed that he had sent 22 letters with no return address to various university personnel across the country. Police are working with postal inspectors and federal partners to process these letters and contact the recipients. One of the letters was found to contain a white powder.

Polito had previously worked as an assistant professor at Eastern Carolina University, where he resigned from his tenure position in 2017. He held a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

During a search of Polito’s home, authorities discovered a chair with an arrow pointing to what they considered his “last will and testament.” They also found a list of people he was targeting on the UNLV campus, as well as faculty members from Eastern Carolina University. Police have contacted everyone on the list to ensure their safety.

The shooting took place in Beam Hall, which houses the UNLV business school. Police responded to reports of an active shooter around 11:45 a.m. local time. The shooting originated on the fourth floor of the building, and two university police detectives engaged and ultimately killed Polito outside of Beam Hall. Polito was armed with a Taurus 9 mm handgun and had brought 11 magazines to the scene.

The sequence of the shootings and the order in which the victims were targeted is still unknown. However, the injured victim on the fifth floor was the only one who survived and is currently receiving treatment at Sunrise Hospital. Two victims were found on the third floor, and one victim was found on the fourth floor.

UNLV Police Chief Adam Garcia praised the bravery of the two detectives who confronted the shooter, stating that they risked their lives to save others and prevent a potential bloodbath.

As the UNLV community mourns the loss of their colleagues, Chief Garcia emphasized the importance of unity and support during this difficult time. The university aims to honor the memory of the victims and create a spirit of resilience known as “Rebel Strong.”

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, with authorities working diligently to uncover more details about the incident and the motives behind it..