06 December 2023 , 20:10
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A University of Nevada, Las Vegas, mass shooting left three people dead and one critically injured after a gunman opened fire on campus.
Las Vegas police confirmed that the suspect of a mass shooting at a university is also dead after a lockdown of the university and airport, resulting in Harry Reid International airport grounding their flights temporarily, and a shutdown of the I-95.
The shooter's motivation remains unclear, however sources close to law enforcement claim the gunman was a professor in his 60s who had recently been rejected from a job. according to the Associated Press - however police officials have not officially confirmed the shooter's identification.
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 authorised to release the information publicly. 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.
Students are on lockdown at UNLV after an active shooter was discovered on campusSheriff Kevin McMahill revealed that students had been gathering outside for fun and relaxation during their finals week. He said: "Importantly, there was a gathering outside where students were playing games and eating food. There was a table set up for them to build lego. If it hadn't been for the heroic actions of one of these officers there could have been countless additional lives taken."
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The shooting originated on the fourth floor of Beam Hall, a building on campus, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said. It went to "multiple floors," McMahill said, before the suspect was "neutralised" outside of the building. McMahill condemned the shooter, saying students "should not feel fear on campus while pursuing their dreams."
Law enforcement said they found the shooter dead and that there are at least three victims (AP)The shooter's motivation remains unclear, the department posted on X, adding: "There is NO further threat. No idea about motive. A number of victims have been transported to area hospitals. Those details will be available soon. The investigation is active and continuing."
Tonight, President Joe Biden said he and first lady Jill Biden issued a statement following the shooting, saying they were praying for the families of the victims.
Biden said in a statement that UNLV “became the latest college campus to be terrorized by a horrific act of gun violence, and the community is still awaiting information on casualties". He added: "Jill and I join citizens across our nation in praying for the families of our fallen, and for those who were injured during these latest acts of senseless violence. We are also grateful for the courageous work of law enforcement — who risked their own safety to bring an end to these deadly shooting sprees."
The UNLV campus is close to the Harry Reid International Airport and also the iconic Strip (GoogleMaps)UNLV is two miles from the strip in Las Vegas, and adjacent to one of Nevada's bigger airports, Harry Reid International, located right next to the campus. The school has over 30,000 students. According to stats, UNLV is mostly a commuter school, with 97 per cent of students living off campus.
"University Police responding to a report of shots fire in BEH evacuate to a safe area, RUN-HIDE-FIGHT," the alert reads. The second update, posted minutes later, adds: "University Police responding to confirmed active shooter in BEH. This is not a test."
A hotline was set up for victims as well as a reunification center (AP)Flights out of Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, connected to the school, have been temporarily stalled as flights have been postponed.
“We were in the student union on the second floor and we heard there was an active shooter,” a student told CNN, adding that she and others evacuated the building. “We could hear the gun shots,” another student told reporters.
A military airplane landed at Harry Reid amid the chaos, though it remains unclear whether or not the plane was meant to respond to the shooting (Brian Prahl / SplashNews.com)The White House has said that they are also monitoring the situation. “I just was told about the shooting. Obviously, we're going to continue to monitor what's currently occurring. I don't want to get ahead of what local enforcements are probably dealing with at this time,” Jean-Pierre told reporters at a current briefing.
It appears some students have been allowed out of the lockdown, as reporters from KTNV were able to conduct some interviews with students. One young man they spoke to explained that, "I have friends of friends... that were in the building... they said they just heard round after round."
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The police have not yet released a possible motive for the shooting, but they have said the investigation is continuing (AP)"What is it going to be like after this? Will there be class tomorrow? Will anyone show up? Parents are lining up out here to make sure their children are okay," the youngster explained to reporters.
Those on campus are being urged to continue sheltering in place as the investigation continues. The cops are going from building to building securing the area and investigating.