Dec 07, 2023

Shooting suspect was professor who recently applied for a job at UNLV

Posted Dec 07, 2023 1:30 AM
-A glass door to the Student Union at UNLV is damaged from apparent gunfire. Las Vegas police say there are multiple victims and one suspect is dead-photo courtesy KSVN TV
-A glass door to the Student Union at UNLV is damaged from apparent gunfire. Las Vegas police say there are multiple victims and one suspect is dead-photo courtesy KSVN TV

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The man suspected of fatally shooting three people and wounding another at a Las Vegas university Wednesday was a professor who unsuccessfully sought a job at the school, a law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press.

The gunman was killed in a shootout with law enforcement, police said. The attack at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas sent shock waves through a city still scarred by the deaths of 60 people in a 2017 mass shooting.

The suspect previously worked at East Carolina University in North Carolina, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information publicly.

photo courtesy KVUU TV
photo courtesy KVUU TV

Police didn't immediately identify the gunman, the victims or a possible motive.

Reports of shots fired at about 11:45 a.m. sent police swarming onto the campus while students and professors barricaded themselves inside classrooms and dorm rooms.

Police said the shooting started on the fourth floor of the building that houses UNLV’s Lee Business School. The gunman went to several floors before he was killed in a shootout with two university detectives outside the building, said UNLV Police Chief Adam Garcia.

Authorities gave the all-clear about 40 minutes after the first report of an active shooter.

Professor Kevaney Martin took cover under a desk in her classroom, where another faculty member and three students took shelter with her.

“It was terrifying. I can’t even begin to explain,” Martin said. “I was trying to hold it together for my students, and trying not to cry, but the emotions are something I never want to experience again.”

Martin said she was texting friends and loved ones, hoping to receive word a suspect had been detained. When another professor came to the room and told everyone to evacuate, they joined dozens of others rushing out of the building. Martin had her students pile into her car and drove them off campus.

“Once we got away from UNLV, we parked and sat in silence,” she said. “Nobody said a word. We were in utter shock.”

Students and the community were alerted to the emergency by a university post on X that warned: “This is not a test. RUN-HIDE-FIGHT.”

Matthew Felsenfeld said he and about 12 classmates barricaded their door in a building near the student union.

“It’s the moment you call your parents and tell them you love them,” said Felsenfeld, a 21-year-old journalism student.

Another student, Jordan Eckermann, 25, said he was in his business law class in a second-floor classroom when he heard a loud bang that he thought came from a neighboring music class.

But then a piercing alarm went off, sending students to their feet. Some ran from the room in panic while others heeded their professor’s instructions to stay calm, said Eckermann.

He walked out and locked eyes with a law enforcement officer in a bulletproof vest holding a long gun. Clothing, backpacks and water bottles lay scattered on the floor.

Eckerman said he mouthed to the officer, “Where do I go?”

The officer pointed to an exit.

Minutes later, when he was outside, Eckermann said he heard bursts of gunshots, totaling at least 20 rounds. The air smelled of gun powder. He said he kept walking away from campus, even though he didn't know where to go.

UNLV’s 332-acre (135-hectare) campus is less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) east of the Las Vegas Strip.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many of the 30,000 students were on campus at the time, but Sheriff Kevin McMahill said students had been gathered outside the building to eat and play games. If police hadn’t killed the attacker, “it could have been countless additional lives taken,” he said.

“No student should have to fear pursuing their dreams on a college campus,” the sheriff said.

The shooting occurred just miles from the location of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. In the Oct. 1, 2017, massacre, a gunman opened fire from a high-rise suite at the Mandalay Bay, killing 60 people attending a music festival below and wounding hundreds more.

In response to the campus shootings, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop of all flights coming into Harry Reid International Airport. The university is roughly 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) north of the airport.

Classes were canceled through Friday at the university, and UNLV’s basketball game at the University of Dayton, Ohio, was canceled Wednesday night because of the shootings.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — A gunman killed three people and critically wounded a fourth Wednesday at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas before being killed in a shootout with police, authorities said. The attack sent shock waves through a city still scarred by the deaths of 60 people in a 2017 mass shooting only a few miles away on the famous Strip.

Reports of shots fired at about 11:45 a.m. sent police swarming onto the campus while students and professors barricaded themselves inside classrooms and dorm rooms.

Photo courtesy KVUU TV
Photo courtesy KVUU TV

Police said the shooting started on the fourth floor of the building that houses UNLV’s Lee Business School, and the gunman went to several floors before he was killed in a shootout outside the building.

UNLV Police Chief Adam Garcia said at an evening news conference that two university detectives immediately got into a shootout with the killer.

Authorities gave the all-clear about 40 minutes after the first report of an active shooter.

Sheriff Kevin McMahill said students had gathered outside the building to eat and play games. If police hadn't killed the attacker, “it could have been countless additional lives taken,” he said.

“No student should have to fear pursuing their dreams on a college campus,” the sheriff said.

Authorities didn’t immediately release any additional details about the shootings, the victims, the suspect or a possible motive.

Professor Kevaney Martin took cover under a desk in her classroom, where another faculty member and three students took shelter with her.

“It was terrifying, I can’t even begin to explain,” Martin said. “I was trying to hold it together for my students, and trying not to cry, but the emotions are something I never want to experience again.”

Martin said she was texting friends and loved ones, hoping to receive word a suspect had been detained. When another professor came to the room and told everyone to evacuate, they joined dozens of others rushing out of the building. Martin had her students pile into her car and drove them off campus.

“Once we got away from UNLV, we parked and sat in silence,” she said. “Nobody said a word. We were in utter shock.”

Students and the community were alerted to the emergency by a university post on X that warned: “This is not a test. RUN-HIDE-FIGHT.”

Student Matthew Felsenfeld said he and about 12 classmates barricaded their door in a building near the student union.

“It’s the moment you call your parents and tell them you love them,” said Felsenfeld, a 21-year-old journalism student.

Jordan Eckermann, 25, said he was in his business law class in a second-floor classroom when he heard a loud bang that he thought came from a neighboring music class.

But then a piercing alarm went off, sending students to their feet. Some ran from the room in panic while others heeded the professor’s urging to stay calm, said Eckermann, who walked out and was directed to an exit by a law enforcement officer in a bulletproof vest holding a long gun.

UNLV’s 332-acre (135-hectare) campus is less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) east of the Las Vegas Strip. it wasn’t immediately clear how many of the 30,000 students were on campus.

The shooting occurred in a city still scarred by one of the worst mass killings in U.S. history, the Oct. 1, 2017, massacre by a gunman in which 60 people attending a music festival were killed and hundreds more were wounded. The gunman opened fire from a high-rise suite at the Mandalay Bay casino. The UNLV campus is just over 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from that location.

In response to the campus shootings, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop of all flights coming into Harry Reid International Airport. The university is roughly 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) north of the airport.

Classes were canceled through Friday at the university, and UNLV’s basketball game at the University of Dayton, Ohio, was canceled Wednesday night because of the Las Vegas shootings.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — A person opened fire Wednesday on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus, and at least three victims were taken to hospitals, according to police who reported the shooter was found dead.

“Right now, we know there are 3 victims, but unknown extent of the injuries,” Sheriff Kevin McMahill said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “That number could change.”

McMahill did not say whether any victims had been killed.

Photo courtesy KVUU TV
Photo courtesy KVUU TV

Alerts went out across the campus after callers reported an active shooter to police at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, said Adam Garcia, a university police official. He said officers found and “engaged” a suspect, who is now dead. It was not immediately clear how the suspect died.

Students and professors on the campus of 30,000 barricaded themselves inside classrooms and dorm rooms.

Student John Harris heard what he later realized was a gunshot as he was getting out of his car in the parking garage of an on-campus apartment complex. In the elevator, Harris he got an emergency text alert text from the university.

“I wasn’t sure what to believe,” said Harris, 21, who ended up sheltering at a friend's dorm. “But as I came down to the street, and I saw there were a bunch of cops in the parking lot at the student union, I knew what I heard was a gunshot and this wasn’t a drill.”

Professor Kevaney Martin took cover under a desk in her classroom, where another faculty member and three students took shelter with her.

“It was terrifying, I can’t even begin to explain,” Matin said. “I was trying to hold it together for my students, and trying not to cry, but the emotions are something I never want to experience again.”

Martin said she was texting friends and loved ones, hoping to receive word a suspect had been detained. When another professor came to the room and told everyone to evacuate, they joined dozens of others rushing out of the building. Martin had her students piled into her car and drove them off campus.

“Once we got away from UNLV, we parked and sat in silence,” she said. "Nobody said a word. We were in utter shock.”

The university said on X, formerly Twitter, that the shooter was at the Beam Hall, Frank and Estella Building, home of UNLV’s Lee Business School, and that police were responding to an additional report of shots fired at the nearby student union.

Las Vegas police posted on X that a suspect “has been located and is deceased” about 40 minutes after the initial alert was posted.

Students and the community were alerted to the emergency by a university post on X.

“This is not a test,” the university wrote. “RUN-HIDE-FIGHT.”

Student Matthew Felsenfeld said he and about 12 classmates barricaded their door in a building near the student union.

“It’s the moment you call your parents and tell them you love them,” said Felsenfeld, a 21-year-old journalism student.

He said he didn’t hear gunfire or see anyone injured but said he saw out the windows as police staged to enter the neighboring building. a short while later, police came and ushered them out.

Pierre Lescure, a UNLV senior, was riding his bicycle from home to campus for a meeting when he said about 10 police cars drove pass him.

“They drove too fast and there was no ambulance, just cops. It was clearly a shooting,” Lescure said. “It could not be something else.”

UNLV's 332-acre campus is less than 2 miles east of the Las Vegas Strip.

In response to the campus shootings, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop of all flights coming into Harry Reid International Airport. The university is roughly 2 miles (3 kilometers) north of the airport.

Tony Molinaro, an FAA spokesperson, referred a request to comment to Las Vegas law enforcement.

The shooting occurred in a city still scarred by one of the worst mass killings in U.S. history, the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas, in which 60 were killed and hundreds more wounded. The UNLV campus is just over 3 miles (5 kilometers) from that location.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Multiple victims were taken to hospitals Wednesday after a gunman opened fire on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The sheriff said there was no further threat after police located a suspect, who ended up dead.

It wasn't immediately clear how many people were shot or their conditions. Sheriff Kevin McMahill did not say whether any victims had been killed.

“There are a number of victims that have been transported to area hospitals,” McMahill told reporters. “So I don't want to give you false information and tell you how many victims that we have. But we will be providing that update very, very shortly.”

Police were called about an active shooter on campus at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, said Adam Garcia, a university police official. He said officers found and “engaged” a suspect, who is now dead. It was not immediately clear how the suspect died.

The university said on X, formerly Twitter, that the shooter was at the Beam Hall, Frank and Estella Building, home of UNLV’s Lee Business School, and that police were responding to an additional report of shots fired at the nearby student union.

Las Vegas police posted on X that a suspect “has been located and is deceased” about 40 minutes after the initial alert was posted.

Students and the community were alerted to the emergency by a university post on X.

“This is not a test,” the university wrote. “RUN-HIDE-FIGHT.”

Student Matthew Felsenfeld said he and about 12 classmates barricaded their door in a building near the student union.

“It’s the moment you call your parents and tell them you love them,” said Felsenfeld, a 21-year-old journalism student.

He said he didn’t hear gunfire or see anyone injured but said he saw out the windows as police staged to enter the neighboring building. a short while later, police came and ushered them out.

Pierre Lescure, a UNLV senior, was riding his bicycle from home to campus for a meeting when he said about 10 police cars drove pass him.

“They drove too fast and there was no ambulance, just cops. It was clearly a shooting,” Lescure said. “It could not be something else.”

An Associated Press reporter saw a team of SWAT officers with FBI insignia move as a group onto campus just before 1 p.m., soon after police reported the dead suspect.

University officials on social media urged anyone on campus to continue sheltering in place, saying: “This remains an active investigation.”

UNLV has more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at its 332-acre campus is less than 2 miles east of the Las Vegas Strip.

The shooting occurred in a city still scarred by one of the worst mass killings in U.S. history, the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas, in which 60 were killed and hundreds more wounded. The UNLV campus is just over three miles from that location.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Police said a suspect was found dead Wednesday as officers responded to an active shooter and reports of multiple victims at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The university said on X, formerly Twitter, the shooter was at the Beam Hall, Frank and Estella Building, home of UNLV’s Lee Business School, and that police were responding to an additional report of shots fired at the nearby student union.

Las Vegas police posted on X that a suspect “has been located and is deceased” about 40 minutes after the initial alert was posted.

“This is not a test,” the university wrote. “RUN-HIDE-FIGHT.”

An Associated Press reporter saw a team of SWAT officers with FBI insignia move as a group onto campus just before 1 p.m., soon after police reported the dead suspect.

University officials on social media urged anyone on campus to continue sheltering in place., saying: “This remains an active investigation.”

The shooting occurred in a city still scarred by one of the worst mass killings in U.S. history, the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas, in which 60 were killed and hundreds more wounded. The UNLV campus is just over three miles from that location.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Police said a suspect was found dead Wednesday as officers responded what officials of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, called a “confirmed active shooter” on campus.

The university said on X, formerly Twitter, the shooter was at the Beam Hall, Frank and Estella Building, home of UNLV’s Lee Business School, and that police were responding to an additional report of shots fired at the nearby student union.

photo courtesy KVUU TV
photo courtesy KVUU TV

Las Vegas police posted on X that a suspect “has been located and is deceased” about 40 minutes after the initial alert was posted.

“This is not a test,” the university wrote. “RUN-HIDE-FIGHT.”

The shooting occurred in a city still scarred by one of the worst mass killings in U.S. history, the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas, in which 60 were killed and hundreds more wounded.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.