On Wednesday, a 67-year-old gunman entered the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and opened fire in a 10-minute rampage that killed three faculty members and wounded a fourth. The suspect, identified as Anthony Polito, was a longtime business professor who had been living in nearby Henderson, Nevada.
Police are still trying to uncover the motive behind the attack, but have revealed that Polito had applied for several jobs at various colleges and universities in Nevada but was denied each time. He had also been an adjunct faculty member at the Roseman University of Health Sciences, teaching two courses in the school’s Master of Business Administration program from October 2018 to June 2022.
In addition, Polito had a list of targets at the school, and was in possession of more than 150 rounds of ammunition. This list included faculty members at East Carolina University in North Carolina, where Polito was a professor at the university’s business school from 2001 to 2017.
Before the shooting, Polito had also mailed 22 letters to university faculty members across the U.S., which contained an unknown white powder that was later found to be harmless.
The shooting began shortly after Polito arrived at UNLV in a 2007 Lexus, and ended around 11:55 a.m. when Polito left the business school and was confronted by police outside the building. His weapon, a 9 mm handgun, was purchased legally last year. Polito had 11 magazines with him to the campus, and police found nine of them on the shooter after he was killed.
The victims of the shooting were identified by UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield as business school professors Patricia Navarro-Velez and Cha Jan “Jerry” Chang. The wounded man, a 38-year-old visiting professor, was still hospitalized Thursday in life-threatening condition.
The attack at UNLV comes almost three years after the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history in October 2017, when a gunman killed 60 people and wounded more than 400 after opening fire from the window of a high-rise suite at Mandalay Bay on the Las Vegas Strip.
Little is known about Polito himself, other than that he appeared to be struggling financially and had an eviction notice taped to his front door when police arrived at his apartment. One of his former students at East Carolina, Paul Whittington, said Polito seemed obsessive over anonymous student reviews at the end of each semester.
Classes at UNLV were canceled through Friday, and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo canceled events that were scheduled Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center at UNLV.
The shooting at UNLV serves as a stark reminder of the tragedy that can ensue when mental health issues are left untreated. It is important to remember that these tragedies are preventable, and that there is help available for those who need it.
It is also a tragic reminder to be aware of our surroundings and take steps to ensure our safety. If you know someone who may be struggling, it is important to reach out and offer help. Lastly, it is important to be aware of the symptoms of mental illness and seek help if needed.
The UNLV community will undoubtedly be feeling the effects of this tragedy for some time to come. However, in the face of such tragedy, it is important to remember that the vast majority of people are good and have the potential to be of service to those in need. Let us all take a moment to remember the victims, and to recognize the heroic efforts of the police officers who responded to the scene and saved countless lives.
