by Dana Gentry, Nevada Current
A University of Nevada Las Vegas campus detective is responsible for ending a late morning active shooting that left three people dead and another hospitalized in stable condition.
UNLV Vice President of Public Safety Adam Garcia said campus police received notification of a shooting at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday.
“Two of our detectives responded to the scene and immediately engaged the suspect in a shootout,” Garcia said at a news conference Wednesday evening. “The suspect was struck and is deceased at this time.”
Police are not releasing the shooter’s identity until next of kin has been notified.
Metro is also not releasing the names of the victims.
“We watched a lot of fear across the faces of those young men and women at UNLV today, and it’s unfortunate that they had to live through that,” Metro Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a news conference Wednesday night.
Police revealed the shooting began on the fourth floor of Beam Hall, an area of the building that has offices but no classrooms which are lower in the building, according to sources at UNLV.
McMahill declined to identify the weapon used in the shooting or say whether it was obtained legally.
“I just want to reserve until I have a little bit better information on exactly what was used,” McMahill said. “We haven’t moved the body yet.”
“I want to assure the community there’s no further threat,” McMahill told reporters earlier Wednesday, as students and faculty, who were preparing for finals and the end of the semester next week, remained on lockdown as police searched the campus.
“Of course we have no idea on the motive. There are a number of victims that have been transported to area hospitals,” McMahill said. “I don’t want to give you false information and tell you how many victims that we have.”
Clark County has set up a reunification center for families at the Las Vegas Convention Center North Hall 1 and 2 off Convention Center and Paradise.
“Parents and family members looking for loved ones who may be on the UNLV campus are encouraged to go to the reunification center,” the county said in a news release. Those looking for loved ones who may have been on campus can call 702-455-AIDE (2433) or go to www.facofsouthernnevada.org for information.
The center “is also for anyone needing assistance such as transportation, food, counseling, temporary housing, and more. We have staff on site to help all those who need any assistance because of today’s tragic events,” the county said.
“Clark County is working with multiple agencies to help coordinate our response to this emergency and we are doing everything we can to assist anyone who has been affected.” said Clark County Commission Chairman Jim Gibson.
Other organizations are also providing services, including the Crisis Support Services of Nevada, the nonprofit that oversees Nevada’s crisis hotline.
“Our staff is alerted and are available,” Rachelle Pellissier, the executive director of Crisis Support Services said Wednesday.
The Crisis Support Services of Nevada hotline is 988.
And Fuente de Vida Mental Health Services has licensed therapists on hold to provide mental health resources for Spanish-speaking families of the victims, staff and those impacted by the shooting.
UNLV will be closed for the remainder of the week and officials are evaluating plans for next week, the final week of the semester, according to Garcia.
“It certainly wasn’t lost on us there on the scene after it was de-escalating that that college means a lot to us,” Clark County Fire Chief John Steinbeck said at the news conference, summing up the sentiments of a shocked and saddened community. “It’s where I went to school, my wife went there, and that’s where my children went. So our hearts go out to UNLV and certainly any of the families of the people that have been affected by this.”
Nevada Current is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nevada Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Hugh Jackson for questions: [email protected]. Follow Nevada Current on Facebook and Twitter.
