Accident – Death – Obituary News :

Las Vegas Police Release Footage of Response to Deadly Shooting at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has recently made available hours of footage showcasing their swift response to a fatal shooting incident at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) earlier this month. The released footage reveals the actions of two officers who unknowingly directed the armed suspect outside during the chaos.

The crucial moment captured in the footage shows the officers, with their guns drawn, rapidly ascending a flight of stairs while searching for both the suspect and victims. At a certain point, one of the officers spots an individual on the ground floor and urgently instructs them to exit while pointing towards the nearest exit.

The shooter, later identified as 67-year-old Anthony Polito, briefly appears in the footage wearing a long black trench coat. There is no indication within the footage that he is the shooter, as one of his hands is visible at his side and there is no sign of a firearm.

Clark County Undersheriff Andrew Walsh, in an interview with The Associated Press, stated that it is evident the two officers were unaware they had encountered the gunman inside the building. As Walsh explains, “They did not possess a description of the shooter at the time, and they were aware of other police resources on the first floor.”

Approximately a minute after the encounter, Polito exits the building, brandishes his weapon, and engages in a shootout with university police officers, resulting in his demise. Fortunately, no individuals outside the building were harmed during the exchange of gunfire.

Motivation for the Shooting

Although the police have not disclosed an explicit motive for the shooting, they have revealed that Polito was facing financial difficulties and had faced rejection for a teaching position at UNLV and other educational institutions in Nevada. Polito had previously held a tenured position for over 15 years at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, before resigning in 2017.

Victims of the Tragic Incident

The shooting rampage unfolded while students and staff were enjoying lunch and partaking in recreational activities in a spacious courtyard adjacent to the university’s business school. Tragically, three faculty members lost their lives in the incident:

• Naoko Takemaru, 69, an accomplished author and associate professor specializing in Japanese studies.

• Cha Jan “Jerry” Chang, 64, an associate professor within the Management, Entrepreneurship & Technology department of the business school.
• Patricia Navarro Velez, 39, an esteemed accounting professor renowned for her research on cybersecurity disclosures and data analytics.

The wounded victim, a visiting professor aged 38, has yet to be publicly identified.

This article contains content from The Associated Press.

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