UNLV cancels finals after campus shooting
Three faculty members killed in shooting at university in Las Vegas, with a fourth seriously injured
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Your support makes all the difference.The third victim who was killed in Wednesday’s shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas has been named as Dr Naoko Takemaru.
Dr Takemaru was named after her next of kin were informed by the coroner’s office, UNLV president Keith Whitfield said in a statement.
“With sadness, I write to you to mourn the tragic passing of Dr Naoko Takemaru, who this morning was confirmed to be among the three UNLV faculty members who lost their lives during Wednesday’s shooting,” Mr Whitfield said.
The first two victims of the shooting were identified as professor Cha Jan Chang, 64, known as “Jerry,” and assistant professor Patricia Navarro Velez, 39, of Las Vegas, on Thursday.
It comes after Las Vegas police released new video purportedly showing suspect Anthony Polito moments after his shooting rampage at the University of Nevada‘s Las Vegas campus.
The footage emerged after investigators revealed that 67-year-old Polito had a “target list” - but none of his alleged victims were on it.
Police previously confirmed that Polito was a career college professor who had applied for – but failed to be accepted for – a job at UNLV.
Polito previously worked as a professor at colleges in Georgia and North Carolina, and kept a personal website where he proudly documented his academic achievements – and claimed to have solved the Zodiac Killer case.
According to police, he had a previous criminal history of computer trespass out of Virginia in 1992.
On the day of the shooting Polito was armed with a Taurus nine-millimeter handgun, which had been purchased legally in 2022. He had brought 11 magazines to the scene with him. Nine loaded magazines were found on his person.
First victims in UNLV mass shooting identified
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A career professor gunman, three killed and a campus in fear: What we know about the UNLV shooting
Two officers injured in shooting identified
The two officers involved in the shooting were named at the press conference as Detective Nathanial Drum and Officer Damian Garcia.
Adam Garcia, police chief for the University Police Services Southern Command described the men as “heroes”.
“They kept the worst from becoming a bloodbath,” Mr Garcia said.
“The collective response and actions of our other initial responding officers LVPD metro or many regional agencies no doubt saved lives as well. Their swift response and exceptional courage were pivotal in neutralising this threat and undoubtedly prevented further harm to our community.
“I want to express with a deepest gratitude to both officer Garcia and Detective Drumm who, combined, bring over 40 years of law enforcement experience to our department.
“Their dedication to this community is unwavering.”
Detective Drum has been employed with UPS since 2017 and is assigned to the detective bureau at our central area command. Officer Garcia has been employed with UPS since 2018.
Both officers have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the review of the incident.
What we know about the UNLV shooting
While authorities reassured the commmuntity that there was ‘no further threat,’ many questions still remain, largely to do with the shooter and their motive.
Here’s what we know.
What we know about the UNLV shooting
While authorities reassured the commmuntity that there was ‘no further threat,’ many questions still remain, largely to do with the shooter and their motive. Mike Bedigan looks at what we know so far
Who were the victims of the UNLV attack?
All three of the victims who died in Wednesday’s attack have now been identified, with tributes paid by colleagues at a press conference on Friday.
The two police officers who were also injured during the incident have also been named. They were described as “heroes” by University Police Services chief Adam Garcia.
First victims in UNLV mass shooting identified
All four of the victims were faculty members at the UNLV, the college’s president Keith Whitfield has confirmed
Police still investigating motive of UNLV shooting
Las Vegas police are still trying to understand what led Anthony Polito, a longtime business professor in North Carolina, to the University of Nevada campus on Wednesday.
Three faculty members died and another was critically injured when a lone gunman walked on to campus and opened fire in the building housing the business school.
The shooting stoked fear on the 30,000-student campus just miles from the Las Vegas Strip where the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history led to the deaths of 60 people on 1 October 2017.
Will students return to campus in the coming days?
On Wednesday, Adam Garcia, from the University Police Services – Southern Command, said that all higher education campuses in southern Nevada would be closed following the incident out of “an abundance of caution”.
Mr Garcia did not immediately say when the campuses would reopen, but it was later confirmed that they would remain closed on Thursday and Friday.
On Friday, Keith Whitfield, president of UNLV said that all in-person, on campus final exams – due to take place next week – would be cancelled.
“We are providing flexibility for faculty and instructors – as well as students – to bring this semester to a positive end,” a statement from Mr Whitfield read.
Faculty and staff have been advised to work remotely through the end of the calendar year, with some exceptions.
Students will end the semester with the grade they have earned based on work completed before December 6, though some faculty may opt to offer an optional online final exam or take-home project before December 18, allowing students an opportunity to improve their grade.
One UNLV student told ABC News he was unsure if many would want to return to the campus immediately following the incident.
“Thank gosh, it’s near the end of semester so we can have a month off for people to recover and hopefully we can grieve about this and come together as a community to pass this and go into next semester, but I don’t know I’m super nervous, I’m nervous about next semester,” he said.
UNLV school officials cancel classes, finals
Final exams and the last week of in-person classes this semester at the University of Nevada have been cancelled. University president Keith Whitfield told students and staff on Friday that students’ final grades will be based on work completed before the shooting on Wednesday.
He cited the loss of the faculty members and the physical and emotional trauma the university has endured.
"What our university has endured on Dec. 6 is nothing short of life-changing. We will not ever forget that day," he said at a news conference late on Friday.
Mr Whitfield set the 18 December deadline for students to take optional online final exams or complete take-home tests to improve their grades. Commencement ceremonies are still scheduled for 19-20 December.
The five-story building where the shooting happened remained closed on Friday.
In pictures: Aftermath of UNLV shooting
Recorded 911 calls underscore real time terror of the deadly Las Vegas University shooting
Fire alarms blared in the background of 911 calls that police released on Friday, amplifying the terrified voices of students and faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as they hid inside locked offices and under desks while a gunman fired shots outside, killing three professors.
“Someone’s shooting. Please hurry,” said one woman caller, her voice cracking with fear as she described the shots as sounding like they were next door.
“I really want to go home.”Several of the over three dozen calls to 911 were from family members of students or faculty on campus. One woman called after hearing from her daughter about an active shooter. She described her daughter as hyperventilating and crying.“
She just called me and she can’t even breathe. Can you call her back or something? Can you investigate,” the woman pleaded.
Polito carried 9mm legally purchased handgun along with target list
The gunman, 67-year-old Anthony Polito, walked into UNLV’s business school around lunchtime on Wednesday and fired shots as he roamed the top three floors, where faculty offices are located, police said.
Along with the three people who were killed, a 38-year-old visiting professor was wounded and hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
After police killed Polito in a shootout, he was found to be carrying nine magazines for a 9 mm handgun he’d legally purchased last year and a list of targets at the school — although none of the people shot was on that list, police said.
Police still had no motive for Wednesday’s attack but said the shooter, who was a career college professor, had been denied a job at various Nevada colleges and universities and appeared to be struggling financially.
Polito arrived at UNLV in a 2007 Lexus that he parked in a lot south of the business school about 15 minutes before the shooting, said Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill. After leaving the car, he placed loaded magazines in his waistband and entered the business school at 11.33am. The first reports of gunfire came at 11.45am.
University hails law enforcement efforts
University officials praised the efforts of law enforcement and paid tribute to their fallen colleagues at a news conference last evening.
Two university police officers, Detective Nathaniel Drum and Officer Damian Garcia, killed Polito after he opened fire on them outside of the business school. Both have been placed on administrative leave, which is routine practice while the shooting is reviewed, University Police Chief Adam Garcia said.“In a word, these two officers are heroes.
They kept the worst from becoming a bloodbath,” the chief said.