gunman victims B-school faculty : UNLV President: Two Faculty Members Among Victims of Gunman’s Shooting Spree

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Two out of the three victims killed in the shooting spree at the University of Las Vegas-Nevada on December 6 were members of the UNLV Lee Business School faculty. UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield confirmed in a message to the school community that Patricia Navarro-Velez, an assistant professor of accounting, and Cha-Jan “Jerry” Chang, a lecturer of management information systems, were two of the victims. The identity of the third victim, also a UNLV faculty member, will be released after the next of kin have been notified. Another faculty member was injured and remains hospitalized.

The gunman, Anthony Polito, who was a former professor at East Carolina University, had unsuccessfully sought to join the business school faculty at UNLV. According to reports, Polito had a list of targets at the school and was found with over 150 rounds of ammunition. While the motive for the shooting is still unknown, Polito had applied to work at several colleges and universities in Nevada without success.

Prior to the shooting, Polito had also sent letters containing white powder to at least 22 academic institutions. The substance in the letters has yet to be identified. Polito had served as an adjunct faculty member at Roseman University of Health Sciences in Henderson, teaching courses in the school’s MBA program from October 2018 to June 2022.

Polito, who held a bachelor’s degree in mathematics/statistics from Radford University, an MBA from Duke Fuqua School of Business, and a Ph.D. in operations management from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business, was known for his participation in conspiracy theories surrounding the Zodiac Killer and missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, among others.

In the wake of the tragedy, UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield announced that students and faculty will not return to campus for in-person classes this semester, and final exams scheduled for the week of December 11 have been canceled.

President Whitfield expressed his condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims and acknowledged the immense grief, loss, anger, and fear that the school community is experiencing. He encouraged students and staff to seek counseling services and commended the emergency responders for their swift actions in stopping the gunman and providing assistance after the shooting.

Whitfield described Dr. Navarro-Velez as a dedicated accounting professor who had been with UNLV for nearly five years, focusing on teaching accounting information systems. Dr. Chang, on the other hand, had spent over 20 years teaching management information systems at UNLV’s Lee Business School.

The UNLV community is urged to support one another during this difficult time, and counseling services are available for those in need. President Whitfield promised to provide updates on the academic calendar for the rest of the semester, including finals and commencement.

For more information and updates, students and staff are encouraged to visit the UNLV website. The university is committed to supporting its community through this tragedy and believes that together, they can overcome the pain and grief they are currently facing..