In a shocking and tragic turn of events, a mass shooting took place on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) on Wednesday, leaving three people dead and one seriously injured. Law enforcement sources have identified the gunman as 67-year-old Anthony Polito, a career college professor who had previously applied for a job at UNLV but was unsuccessful in his application. Polito, who had also worked as a professor at colleges in Georgia and North Carolina, was armed with a Taurus nine-millimeter handgun during the shooting.

The shooting began at approximately 11:45 am in Beam Hall, where UNLV's Lee Business School is located. UNLV Police Chief Adam Garcia revealed that Polito opened fire on the fourth floor of the building before making his way through several other floors. In response to the active shooter situation, an alert was sent out to students, staff, and faculty, causing panic and chaos on campus. Both on-duty and off-duty police officers swiftly arrived at the scene, and two university police detectives engaged Polito outside of Beam Hall in a shootout, ultimately resulting in his death.

The motive behind the attack remains unknown, and authorities are currently investigating the suspect's cellphone and professional papers for any possible clues. Las Vegas police also conducted a search of Polito's apartment in Henderson, Nevada. It is not yet clear whether there is any connection between the victims and the gunman or if they were specifically targeted in the shooting. However, sources have revealed that the victims were faculty or staff members, not students.

Among the victims were professor Cha Jan “Jerry” Chang, 64, and assistant professor Patricia Navarro-Velez, 39. Chang, a longtime educator of management information systems, had dedicated over 20 years of his academic career to teaching at UNLV's Lee Business School. Navarro-Velez, an assistant professor of accounting, had been with UNLV for nearly five years and focused primarily on teaching accounting information systems. The identity of the third deceased victim has not been released publicly as authorities work to notify next of kin.

The fourth victim, a visiting professor, sustained critical injuries and was transported to Sunrise Hospital, where they are now in stable condition. Additionally, several other victims suffered panic attacks during the shooting, and a number of officers sustained minor injuries in the chaos.

This tragic incident at UNLV brings back memories of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, the 2017 Route 91 Harvest music festival massacre, which occurred just a few miles from the college campus. However, Sheriff Kevin McMahill reassured the community that there was no further threat following the shooting and commended the swift response and coordination among law enforcement, fire services, and EMS.

As the community mourns the loss of three lives and grapples with the aftermath of this senseless act of violence, many questions still remain unanswered. Authorities continue to investigate the motive behind the attack, while the campus and the city of Las Vegas come together to support the victims and their families in this difficult time.