UNLV mass shooter was career college professor but unknown whether he had a connection with school

A law enforcement source revealed that the individual responsible for the mass shooting on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) campus, which resulted in three fatalities and one injury, was a 67-year-old career college professor. The professor had connections to educational institutions in Georgia and North Carolina, although it remains unclear what specific ties he had to the UNLV campus where the incident occurred.

During a news conference on Wednesday evening, Las Vegas Metro Sheriff Kevin McMahill withheld the identity of the deceased shooter until the family could be notified. The confrontation with campus police took place outside Beam Hall, where students were engaged in recreational activities such as playing games and building with Legos.

Sheriff McMahill commended the heroic actions of the responding police officers, emphasizing that the situation could have resulted in even more casualties without their intervention. In addition to the four victims who were shot, four individuals were hospitalized due to panic attacks, and two law enforcement officers sustained minor injuries during the search for victims.

The wounded victim, initially listed in critical condition, has since been upgraded to stable. The investigation into the incident, including the identification of a motive and examination of evidence, is ongoing. The sheriff provided no details regarding the weapon used by the suspect.

The tragic event occurred during the students' study week before final exams and winter break, in the same city that witnessed the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history in 2017. The university responded to reports of a shooting near Beam Hall, prompting a lockdown and evacuation order. The order was lifted later in the evening when law enforcement confirmed that there was no longer an active threat on campus.

Witness accounts described the chaotic scene, with students taking shelter and reporting hearing multiple gunshots. Some recounted the tense moments inside buildings, where alarms sounded, and professors instructed students to take cover and evacuate when safe to do so.

UNLV President Keith Whitfield expressed shock and grief over the "unfathomable event," extending condolences to the victims and their families. This incident marks the 80th school shooting in the U.S. this year and occurred in close proximity to the site of the Route 91 Harvest music festival mass shooting in 2017.

As the nation grapples with the ongoing issue of gun violence, the White House stated that it is closely monitoring the situation. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman and the White House both expressed condolences and concern for those affected by the tragedy. Meanwhile, the second gentleman was scheduled to deliver remarks at an event focused on gun violence victims.