Gunman Kills Three at University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Victims Identified as ChaJan Chang and Patricia Navarro Velez

On Wednesday, a 67-year-old college professor opened fire at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, killing three people before being confronted by police and dying. The gunman has been identified as Anthony Polito, a former business professor at East Carolina University. According to law enforcement sources, Polito may have been motivated by being passed over for a job at UNLV, where the shooting took place. Polito had a fascination with Vegas, puzzles, and conspiracy theories, as evidenced by his online profile, which included links to conspiracy theory websites and topics like Freemasonry and the Rothschild family.

The shooting occurred on the fourth floor of the university’s Beam Hall business school building, where students and professors were preparing for final exams. Outside, students were gathered for an event with games and food. The shooter moved through multiple floors before being stopped by law enforcement outside. One person was critically injured by gunfire, but their condition later stabilized, and four others were treated for panic attacks.

The shooting prompted a campuswide shelter-in-place order, and students took shelter in the student union across the street from Beam Hall. They listened to gunshots and waited for police to evacuate them. The fear and panic on campus were reminiscent of the 2017 Route 91 Harvest music festival massacre, which took place nearby and remains the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.

Sheriff Kevin McMahill praised the response of law enforcement, noting that the training they received after the Route 91 shooting allowed them to quickly respond and stop the shooter at UNLV. McMahill also expressed his pride in the men and women of law enforcement, the fire service, and EMS for their seamless cooperation during the incident.

Polito, who described himself as a “semi-retired university professor” on his LinkedIn page, had worked at East Carolina University from 2001 to 2017. He also taught as an adjunct faculty at Roseman University in Henderson, Nevada, from October 2018 to June 2022. Students described Polito as “chill” and said he often talked about Vegas in his classes.

As the investigation into the shooting continues, the university community mourns the loss of the victims and grapples with the impact of yet another school shooting in the United States.