A gunman opened fire Wednesday on the University of Las Vegas campus, killing at least three people and wounding a fourth.
In addition to the four gunshot victims, four people were taken to hospitals with symptoms of panic attacks. Two law enforcement officers were treated for minor injuries suffered while searching for victims.
Police are not releasing the shooter’s identity until his next of kin is notified.
CNN cites a law enforcement source as saying the suspected shooter is “a 67-year-old college professor with connections to schools in Georgia and North Carolina.”
It remains unclear what if any, connection he had to UNLV.
Shooting started inside business school
Police said the shooting started on the fourth floor of the building that houses UNLV’s Lee Business School, and the gunman went to several floors before he was killed in a shootout outside the building.
UNLV Vice President of Public Safety Adam Garcia said campus police received notification of a shooting at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday.
“Two of our detectives responded to the scene and immediately engaged the suspect in a shootout,” Garcia said at a news conference Wednesday evening. “The suspect was struck and is deceased at this time.”
The gunman was killed near where students were gathered outside the building to eat and play games.
Las Vegas Metro Sheriff Kevin McMahill said if the officers had not killed the attacker, “it could have been countless additional lives taken.” He called the shooting “a heinous, unforgivable crime.”
RUN-HIDE-FIGHT
After receiving the report of shots fired, the university sent out a mass alert to students and the community on X (formerly Twitter). The university advised there was an active shooter on campus.
“This is not a test. RUN-HIDE-FIGHT,” the alert said.
UPDSouth – UNLV
UPD Alert – UNLV
University Police responding to confirmed active shooter in BEH. This is not a test. RUN-HIDE-FIGHT. https://t.co/qhKQ6oXNVZ— UNLV (@unlv) December 6, 2023
Students and professors barricaded themselves inside classrooms and dorm rooms for several hours. The university advised them to remain sheltered in place, even after the shooter was confirmed dead so that police could conduct an orderly evacuation.
Police have confirmed there is no further threat. Police ask that you continue to please shelter in place. Police are evacuating buildings one at a time. This remains an active investigation. https://t.co/lv6a2YgqEp
— UNLV (@unlv) December 6, 2023
UNLV will be closed for the remainder of the week and officials are evaluating plans for next week, the final week of the semester, according to Garcia.
President Joe Biden issued a statement following the shooting, calling on Republicans to join with Democrats in tightening the nation’s gun laws. There have been 631 mass shootings in the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
“This year alone, our nation has experienced more than 600 mass shootings, and approximately 40,000 deaths due to gun violence,” Biden said. “This is not normal, and we can never let it become normal.”
Dana Gentry of Nevada Current contributed to this report
