UNLV Shooting: Suspect Targeted Multiple Universities, Police Reveal

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Police disclosed that the individual responsible for the lethal incident at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, had a list of intended targets at both UNLV and East Carolina University in North Carolina. This information was released on Thursday.

The shooting, which took place on Wednesday, resulted in the death of three faculty members and left one injured. The assailant was killed during an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement, as stated by university authorities.

The perpetrator, identified as Anthony Polito, a former business professor, had previously dispatched 22 letters to faculty members at various universities nationwide. The contents of these letters remain undisclosed, as informed by Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill during a press briefing.

Despite the suspect’s list of targets, Sheriff McMahill confirmed that no one on the list had been harmed. He also mentioned ongoing efforts to understand the motive behind the attack, noting Polito’s unsuccessful job applications at several Nevada institutions.

Polito legally purchased the weapon, a 9mm handgun, used in the attack last year. Authorities are investigating the total number of shots fired. It was revealed that the gunman had brought additional ammunition to the scene.

University President Keith E. Whitfield, in a letter to the university community, described the day of the shooting as the university’s most challenging day. He identified two of the victims as business school professors Patricia Navarro-Velez and Cha Jan “Jerry” Chang. The identity of the third victim will be disclosed following family notification.

During the attack, students and staff experienced moments of fear and uncertainty, hiding in classrooms and dormitories as the shooter moved through the business school. The shooting took place near faculty and staff offices of the accounting and marketing departments.

Further information on the suspect, Anthony Polito, includes his tenure as a professor at East Carolina University’s Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management from 2001 to 2017. He resigned from this position in January 2017.

One of Polito’s former students at East Carolina University, Paul Whittington, recalled Polito’s fascination with Las Vegas, noting his frequent discussions about his visits to the city.

The incident has left a significant impact on Las Vegas, a city still recovering from the 2017 mass shooting, the deadliest in modern U.S. history. The lessons learned from that tragedy aided in the swift response to the UNLV shooting, according to Sheriff McMahill.

Classes at UNLV have been suspended through Friday, and certain events, including the university’s basketball game at the University of Dayton and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, have been canceled in light of the shootings.

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More about UNLV Shooting

• University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• East Carolina University
• Clark County Sheriff’s Office
• Second Amendment Interpretation
• UNLV Lee Business School
• Las Vegas Mass Shootings History
• UNLV President’s Response to Shooting
• Polito’s Tenure at East Carolina University
• Las Vegas Sun Coverage of UNLV Shooting
• Las Vegas Review-Journal Report on UNLV Incident