UNLV campus shooting victims, suspect, and responses | CNN

At least 3 dead after shooting on UNLV campus, Las Vegas police say

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Student interview after reported UNLV shooting abruptly ended by police
01:47 - Source: CNN

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A suspected shooter at the UNLV campus is dead. Here's what you should know

Three people are dead and one person is in stable condition following a shooting at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, police said on Wednesday. The suspected shooter is also dead.

Here’s what you should know:

  • About the shooting: Authorities received a call of an active shooter at 11:45 a.m. local time near Beam Hall, the home of the university’s Lee Business School. Police responded to additional shots fired at the Student Union building Wednesday, which is right next to Beam Hall, according to a university alert. Students and staff and told them to evacuate to a safe area. By 12:37 p.m. local time, police said the suspect was dead.
  • The victims: The Sunrise Hospital trauma center said it was actively treating three victims from the shooting. The hospital activated its mass casualty protocol when it got word of the incident, trauma medical director Dr. Chris Fisher said. One person suffered a gunshot wound and was taken to a local hospital. This person was initially listed as critical condition, and was later upgraded to stable condition, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill.
  • The suspect: Authorities know the name of the suspect, but are not releasing it until their next of kin has been notified, McMahill said. A law enforcement source told CNN the suspect is a 67-year-old career college professor whose connection to UNLV is unknown at this time.
  • A community impacted: UNLV will be closed for the rest of the week, university police said. The Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport, located near the university, was experiencing flight impacts because of a “security incident,” according to an alert from the Federal Aviation Administration. Also, tonight’s basketball game between UNLV and Dayton was canceled, the Dayton men’s team announced Wednesday.
  • What Biden said: President Joe Biden marked a pair of shootings – in Texas and at UNLV – by expressing sympathy for the families of those affected while calling on Republicans in Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Other local officials also expressed dismay over the reports from the Vegas campus.
  • School shootings across the US: With the shooting at UNLV, there have now been 80 US school shootings so far this year, according to a CNN analysis. Of those, 51 shootings have been reported on K-12 campuses and 29 on university and college campuses.

The post has been updated with the latest information from police on the three deceased victims.

Shelter in place orders lifted on UNLV campus

Shelter in place orders have been lifted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, campus hours after a shooting there left three victims dead, the university said on X (formerly Twitter).

“Law Enforcement confirm that there is NO longer an active threat on UNLV campus. All Shelter-in-place instructions are lifted,” the post read.  

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo cancels first performance on Thursday due to UNLV shooting

The first events of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo scheduled for Thursday were canceled following a shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Events (LVE) Board of Trustees and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Board of Directors announced in a news release Wednesday. 

The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas will continue as planned Thursday, the release said.

Actions of police officers prevented "countless additional lives taken," sheriff says

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill speaks at a news conference on Wednesday.

Thanks to the quick actions of the police officers that responded to the shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, campus, many lives were saved that were in danger, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a news conference Wednesday. 

Officers responded to an active shooter call at 11:45 a.m. PT (2 p.m. ET) and shortly after engaged the suspect outside of Beam Hall on the university campus, McMahill said. The shooting started on the fourth floor of the building and went to multiple floors before the suspect was neutralized outside, he said. 

The university will be closed for the rest of the week, university police said.  

UNLV shooter was a former college professor with unknown connection to the school 

The suspect in the UNLV shooting is a 67-year-old career college professor, a law enforcement source told CNN.

The suspect has connections with schools in Georgia and North Carolina, but it is unknown what connection the suspect had with the school where Wednesday’s fatal shooting took place. 

Police are not releasing the name of the suspect, who is also dead, until their next of kin is notified, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said in a news conference. 

Three other people were killed in the shooting, one person was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound and four other people who were suffering from panic attacks were also sent to local hospitals, according to McMahill.

UNLV shooting marks 80th school shooting in 2023, according to a CNN analysis

Parents Mabel Fontanilla and Raul Villalonga embrace after a shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, campus on Wednesday.

There have been 80 US school shootings so far this year, according to a CNN analysis. Of those, 51 shootings have been reported on K-12 campuses and 29 on university and college campuses.

This includes the latest shooting in Las Vegas on the UNLV campus.

Las Vegas police know name of suspect in UNLV shooting but will not release until next of kin is notified

Authorities know the name of the suspect in the shooting at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, but will not release it until their next of kin has been notified, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a news conference Wednesday. 

Student describes professor telling him to run after shooter opened fire on UNLV campus

Brett Johnsen speaks to CNN’s Erin Burnett on Wednesday evening.

A student who was inside the building on the University of Nevada’s Las Vegas campus where the shooting took place said no one was concerned at first when they heard a noise during class.

Brett Johnsen was attending class on the second floor of the business law building when his professor stopped mid-lecture after hearing a loud noise — but he said it didn’t sound like a gunshot so the professor continued teaching.

“Then an alarm came on,” Johnsen said. “I’ve never heard an alarm like that before, it didn’t sound like a fire alarm,”

The students in the class began packing things up, relatively calmly, Johnsen said.

“When we began to walk out of the class, that’s when things got real,” he said.

The look on his professor’s face turned into panic and he urged the students to get back, lock the door and get on the ground.

A few moments later, the professor opened the door to check that it was clear and advised the students to run. Johnsen said he ran as fast as he could down the stairs of the building and outside as far as he could go.

He said everyone on campus was telling each other to run and evacuate.

“It looked like every single cop in Las Vegas was at UNLV,” Johnsen said.

Police still evacuating buildings on UNLV campus

Police evacuate students after a shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Wednesday.

Authorities in Las Vegas are still evacuating buildings on the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus following a shooting there Wednesday, the University Police Services said on X.

Authorities asked anyone on campus to continue sheltering in place until the area is cleared, and described the incident as an “active investigation.”

3 people are dead and another is in critical condition after shooting on UNLV campus, police say

Three people are dead and one person is in critical condition following a shooting at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said on X

The suspect is also dead, police said.

Sunrise Hospital's trauma center treating 3 patients from UNLV shooting, official says

Sunrise Hospital’s trauma center is actively treating three patients from the shooting on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus.

The hospital activated its mass casualty protocol when it got word of the shooting, trauma medical director Dr. Chris Fisher said in a video statement shared with CNN.

“Our hearts go out to the UNLV community, their families and everyone impacted by this tragedy,” Marissa Mussi, Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center spokesperson, told CNN.

This post has been updated with the latest comments from the hospital medical director.

Biden calls on Congress to pass legislation banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazine

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on funding for Ukraine at the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden marked a pair of shootings in Texas and Nevada over the last 24 hours by expressing sympathy for families of those affected by both shootings, while also calling on Republicans in Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Police said there were at least three victims after a shooting at the University of Nevada campus in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

At least six people were killed in shootings in two Central Texas communities on Tuesday.

Biden touted action he has taken since being elected president but said in a statement Wednesday, “We cannot do more without Congress.”

Biden said federal law enforcement officials are working with state and local officials in Texas and Nevada.

ATF and the FBI are on the scene and stand ready to assist local partners in Las Vegas, a Department of Justice spokesperson said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has also been briefed on the shooting at UNLV and is monitoring the situation, the spokesperson said.

“Together, we must do more to prevent more families, and more communities like Austin, San Antonio, and Las Vegas, from being ripped apart by gun violence,” Biden said.

CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz contributed reporting to this post.

Local reporter describes sheltering in campus building while shooting was happening

A local television reporter was interviewing students for a story on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus when a shooter opened fire on Wednesday. 

KSNV reporter Brett Forrest described having to shelter in place inside a building with students and other university faculty when the shooting started.

Forrest said he remained on campus for several hours, despite authorities indicating there was no longer a threat. Police later said officers engaged with the suspect and that the person was now dead.

Many of the students at the UNLV campus are from Las Vegas and know what the community went through in the aftermath of the 2017 mass shooting in the city, Forrest said.

“It’s a scary, unfortunate situation, and I’m sure a lot of them are worried maybe their classmates or friends are among the victims,” he said. “It’s unfortunate our community has to go through this again.” 

UNLV men's basketball game tonight canceled

Tonight’s game between the University of Dayton and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) campus has been canceled, the Dayton men’s team announced Wednesday.

The game was scheduled to take place in Dayton at 9 p.m. ET.

At least 3 victims in Las Vegas university shooting, sheriff says

There are at least three victims in the shooting incident on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus, the sheriff said.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said in a social media post that the extent of the injuries is not known and the number of victims could change.

The police department also set up a hotline for those impacted by the shooting.

Victims of Las Vegas campus shooting have been transported to local hospitals, police say

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill speaks during a press conference on Wednesday.

A number of victims in the University of Nevada shooting have been transported to local hospitals, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill said Wednesday at a news conference. The shooter’s motive in the incident is unclear, he said.

McMahill did not say how many victims there were, or give information on their condition.

The sheriff added that there is no further threat to those on campus, and said an investigation is ongoing.

“This is still a very active and dynamic scene,” McMahill said. “So if you could avoid the area, we would appreciate it.”

This post has been updated with more details from the news conference.

Police got initial call of UNLV shooting just before noon

Officials provided few details at a news conference Wednesday about a shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Authorities received a call of an active shooter at 11:45 a.m. local time, said Adam Garcia, the director of the University Police Services.

At a news conference Wednesday, Garcia said there is no further threat to the university and police have not identified a motive.

UNLV campuses will be closed for the rest of the day

Las Vegas Metro Police respond to a shooting on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Wednesday.

The University of Nevada is closing its campus for the remainder of Wednesday after an active shooting, the university posted on social media.

All other associated colleges throughout the state will also be closed, it said.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said the suspect in the shooting “has been located and is deceased.”

SOON: Las Vegas police will hold a news conference

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department will soon hold a news conference to provide updates on the shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Sheriff Kevin McMahill and Adam Garcia, vice president of Public Safety Services and director of University Police Services, are expected to speak at the news conference.

"Security incident" impacting airport near University of Nevada Las Vegas, FAA says

The Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport is experiencing flight impacts because of a “security incident,” according to an alert from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The airport is located near the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus where police say there was an active shooter on Wednesday.

The FAA has ordered flights in much of the western US bound for the Reid airport held and warned inbound flights of delays.  

The FAA referred questions about the incident to local law enforcement.