UNLV Shooting Leaves Three Dead, Many Injured
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A gunman killed three people and critically injured a fourth at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Wednesday before dying in a shootout with police. Terrified students and professors were forced to take shelter as the shooting unfolded.
The attacker was identified as Anthony Polito, a professor who had previously worked at East Carolina University. Investigators searched an apartment in Henderson, Nevada, on Wednesday night and retrieved his electronic devices in an attempt to find a motive.
Surprisingly, this incident was not the first shooting that the city of Las Vegas had experienced. The deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history occurred in October 2017, when a gunman at Mandalay Bay casino killed 60 people and wounded more than 400 – only a couple of miles away from the UNLV campus.
The UNLV attack was immediately condemned by officials and residents in the area. Reminding people of that tragic incident, bloodshed and terror once again filled the streets and buildings.
Lessons from the 2017 incident proved crucial in responding to the UNLV attack. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill mentioned that the authorities worked “seamlessly” to address the situation.
No further information about the victims or the attacker’s motivation was immediately released. The police also didn’t disclose the type of weapon used.
This terrifying event has shaken the local community and left hundreds of students in trauma. Police did say that classes were canceled through Friday at the university, and UNLV’s basketball game at the University of Dayton, Ohio, was also canceled Wednesday night because of the shootings.
Associated Press reporters from several cities contributed to this report, including Phoenix, Las Vegas, Savannah, Georgia, Washington, and Los Angeles.