UNLV Shooter Identified as Successful Professor with Academic Ties, Investigation Continues into Motive
Police investigate motive behind the UNLV shooting that claimed three lives The suspect, a 67-year-old career professor, had ties to other educational institutions across states The incident brings back memories of the 2017 massacre, leaving Las Vegas on high alert
Authorities are currently trying to determine the reason behind the shooting that resulted in the deaths of three individuals at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. According to a law enforcement source, the suspect was a 67-year-old career college professor who had ties to other schools in different states. The shooter was confronted by police and died at the scene, but the identity will not be publicly disclosed until their relatives have been notified, stated Las Vegas Metro Sheriff Kevin McMahill.
The shooter had tried and failed to get a job at the school, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. This detail was also confirmed by investigative sources who spoke with KLAS-TV in Las Vegas.
CNN was informed by a law enforcement source that the suspect had previously worked for schools in Georgia and North Carolina.
Gunshots erupted just before noon on the fourth floor of the university's Beam Hall business school building, interrupting students and professors as they geared up for final exams the following week, according to the sheriff. Meanwhile, outside, students were attending an event with games, food, and a Lego-building activity. The shooter proceeded through several floors before engaging in an armed confrontation with law enforcement, ultimately leading to the suspect's apprehension, the sheriff confirmed. The circumstances surrounding the gunman's death remain unclear.
Law enforcement is seen escorting people outside the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, campus following a shooting in Las Vegas on December 6, 2023. Reports indicated "multiple victims" in the shooting at a US university, with the police later confirming that the suspect was dead. Students and the public were advised to avoid the area after receiving reports of an active shooter on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. (Photo by Ronda Churchill / AFP) (Photo by RONDA CHURCHILL/AFP via Getty Images)
Ronda Churchill/AFP/Getty Images
UNLV mass shooter was career college professor, source says, but unknown whether he had a connection with school
The shooter killed three people, and one person was critically injured but later stabilized at the hospital, according to McMahill. Additionally, four others were taken to hospitals for panic attacks.
The names of the victims and whether they were students or staff have not been released by authorities.
"The faces of the young men and women at UNLV today were filled with fear," the sheriff reported.
Following the shooting, a shelter-in-place order was issued campus-wide as authorities moved quickly to apprehend the gunman and systematically clear and evacuate Beam Hall and surrounding buildings, according to McMahill. He added that groups of students were found huddled behind many of the doors.
Frightened students sought shelter in the student union building near Beam Hall as they heard gunshots, awaiting evacuation by the police, according to a student who wished to remain anonymous. "There was a lot of panic," she stated.
"We all exited the building with our hands raised," the student described. "We were then evacuated from the student union, passing by a window that had been shot through, with glass scattered everywhere."
The fear and panic at the campus brought back memories of the tragic Route 91 Harvest music festival shooting in 2017, the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. This latest tragedy marks the 80th school shooting in the US this year, with 29 of them occurring on university and college campuses, according to a CNN analysis.
In response, the university has canceled all classes through Sunday and is currently determining how the campus will operate next week, when final exams are scheduled to begin, UNLV president Keith Whitfield announced in a post on the school's website.
Whitfield expressed, "Today is a heartbreaking day for UNLV. We are all still reeling from the unimaginable event." He further expressed, "I mourn for the victims of today's senseless shooting, and my heart goes out to the numerous students, faculty, staff, parents, loved ones, and community members who endured hours of painful uncertainty while officers worked to restore safety and security on our campus."
President Joe Biden offered his sympathies to the families affected by the recent shooting in Las Vegas and the killing spree in Texas. He urged Republicans in Congress to collaborate with Democrats in enacting a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, emphasizing the need to take further action to prevent more families and communities from being devastated by gun violence in places like Austin, San Antonio, and Las Vegas.
It looked like every single cop in Las Vegas was at UNLV
Police began receiving reports at about 11:45 a.m. of a shooting at the university, prompting both on- and off-duty law enforcement to rush to the campus, the sheriff said.
The campus police quickly arrived at the scene and confronted the suspect outside of Beam Hall, which had been a gathering spot for students enjoying food and games just moments earlier, according to McMahill.
"If it weren't for the brave actions of one of those responding police officers, many more lives could have been lost," he stated.
Police evacuate students after a shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Wednesday.
K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service/Getty Images
A student was sitting outside and eating breakfast when the shots began, the student told CNN affiliate KVVU.
"I heard three loud explosions and I thought, 'Oh, what was that?'" the student recalled. "The police arrived, and I hurried inside.
"Then, after two minutes, more gunfire. I quickly sought shelter in the basement, where I remained for 20 minutes," the student recounted. "I could hear a lot of shots."
A professor in Beam Hall abruptly halted the lecture when a loud noise echoed through the building, according to student Brett Johnsen, who was in a classroom on the second floor. The sound initially didn't appear to be gunfire, so the professor continued with the lesson. However, shortly afterward, an unfamiliar alarm went off, which Johnsen noted was unlike any fire alarm he had heard before.
The students in the class began packing things up, relatively calmly, Johnsen said.
"When we began to walk out of the class, thats when things got real," he said.
The professor's expression shifted to one of panic as he urgently instructed the students to return to the classroom, lock the door, and take cover on the ground.
Johnsen expressed, "If the shooter entered our classroom, we would all be defenseless."
After a few moments, the professor opened the door to ensure the coast was clear and instructed the students to make a run for it. Johnsen recalled sprinting down the building's stairs and all the way outside with haste. He mentioned that everyone on campus was encouraging one another to escape and evacuate.
"It seemed like every police officer in Las Vegas had descended upon UNLV," Johnsen remarked.
Shooting evokes memory of 2017 massacre
Parents Mabel Fontanilla and Raul Villalonga embrace after a shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, campus on Wednesday.
Ronda Churchill/AFP/Getty Images
The university is located just minutes away from the site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history - the shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival on October 1, 2017. This tragic event resulted in at least 58 fatalities and hundreds of injuries. In the aftermath, two additional individuals succumbed to injuries related to the shooting. During a news conference on a Wednesday, authorities investigating the shooting at UNLV made several references to the 2017 massacre, commonly using the term "October 1."
Sheriff McMahill credited the swift response and apprehension of the UNLV shooter to the rigorous training undergone by Las Vegas authorities in the wake of the Route 91 incident. He expressed pride in the seamless coordination and collaboration among law enforcement, fire service, and EMS personnel during the crisis.
CNNs Cheri Mossburg, Sara Smart, Steve Almasy, Gillian Roberts, DJ Judd and Cindy Von Quednow contributed to this report.
