Las Vegas shooting victim” : “University of Nevada Shooting Claims Lives of Professor Naoko Takemaru, Jan ‘Jerry’ Chang, and Patricia Navarro-Velez

The third victim of the shooting at the University of Nevada has been identified as Professor Naoko Takemaru, a 69-year-old Associate Professor of Japanese Studies at the university. Takemaru died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to officials at the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner. The shooter, identified as Anthony Polito, 67, targeted Takemaru after murdering two other individuals on campus.

Polito had been rejected for a job at the university and had sent letters filled with white powder to other colleges that turned him down, according to authorities. Before the shooting, Polito mailed 22 letters to university faculty members across the U.S., although the contents of those letters were not immediately known. Some of the letters were intercepted and found to contain an “unknown white powder substance.”

Investigators searched Polito’s apartment in nearby Henderson, Nevada, and retrieved several electronic devices, including his cellphone. They also found a document resembling a “last will and testament.” Polito had applied for several jobs at various colleges and universities in Nevada and was rejected each time. He had previously worked as a professor in North Carolina before resigning in January 2017.

Polito’s former student described him as thin-skinned and vindictive. He frequently mentioned his visits to Las Vegas and his love for the city. The shooting took place on the fourth floor of the university’s business school before Polito moved to other floors. He was eventually killed in a shootout with police outside the building.

The first two victims were identified as Patricia Navarro-Velez, 39, an assistant professor at the university’s accounting department, and Cha Jan “Jerry” Chang, 64, a longtime professor at the university. Navarro-Velez was a mother-of-four and focused her research on cybersecurity disclosures and assurance. Chang had worked at the university for over 20 years and was respected for his expertise in management information systems.

UNLV President Keith Whitfield called the shooting the most difficult day in the university’s history and expressed his condolences to the victims’ families. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and the university has temporarily closed all buildings and services except for the Student Recreation and Wellness Center and dining room.