UNLV campus shooting victim identified : “UNLV Campus Shooting Claims Life of Naoko Takemaru, Associate Professor of Japanese Studies”

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – The Clark County coroner’s office has identified the third victim in the shooting that took place on the UNLV campus on Wednesday. The victim has been identified as 69-year-old Naoko Takemaru, a faculty member at UNLV and an Associate Professor of Japanese Studies. The cause of her death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds.

Takemaru was a respected professor who authored a book titled “Women in the Language and Society of Japan: The Linguistic Roots of Bias” and wrote articles for various journals. Her death has sent shockwaves through the UNLV community and the field of Japanese Studies.

The two other professors killed in the shooting have also been identified. They are Professor Cha Jan “Jerry” Chang, 64, of Henderson, Nevada, and Assistant Professor Patricia Navarro Velez, 39, of Las Vegas. Their deaths, along with Takemaru’s, have deeply saddened and affected the university community.

A visiting professor who was injured in the shooting remains hospitalized in stable condition, while the shooter, identified as Anthony Polito, was killed in a shootout with detectives. Polito was a former professor who had applied for jobs at Nevada universities multiple times but was rejected each time.

Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the shooting. During a search of Polito’s apartment, evidence of financial troubles was found, and an eviction notice was taped to his door. It was also discovered that Polito had entered the UNLV campus with a list of people he was seeking, although none of those targets were among the victims.

The UNLV shooting has raised concerns about campus safety and the well-being of faculty and students. The university community is coming together to mourn the loss of three talented professors and to support one another during this difficult time.