The suspect behind the shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has been identified as Anthony Polito, a 67-year-old college professor. Polito was killed by officers following reports of shots fired on the campus on Wednesday morning. Law enforcement sources provided Polito’s name to ABC News, but Las Vegas Metro Sheriff Kevin McMahill stated that the suspect’s name will not be confirmed until his family has been informed.
According to reports, Polito had recently been denied a job at the school and had previously worked as a professor in North Carolina and Georgia. Investigators have obtained his phone and searched his residence in Henderson, Nevada, in an effort to find clues about a motive. Police are also examining his professional work to determine if it can shed light on the campus attack.
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During the shooting, three unnamed people were killed, and four others were injured and taken to the hospital. It is believed that the victims were faculty or staff members and not students, suggesting that the shooting may have been targeted. UNLV President Keith Whitfield called the incident an “unfathomable event” and expressed his condolences to the victims and their families.
The campus was placed on lockdown as police searched for the suspect. Polito was located about 45 minutes after the initial 911 calls were made. As he exited Beam Hall, he engaged in a shootout with a UNLV police officer, who ultimately killed him. The university has established a reunification center for students being evacuated from UNLV, and a hotline has been set up for anyone searching for loved ones.
The shooting at UNLV comes just over four years after the deadliest mass shooting in US history took place in Las Vegas. In October 2017, a gunman opened fire from his hotel room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, killing 59 people and injuring over 500 during the Harvest Music Festival.
Authorities continue to investigate the shooting at UNLV to determine the full circumstances and motive behind the attack.
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