3 dead, 1 in stable condition after shooting on UNLV campus, suspect dead

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said three victims are dead and one is in stable condition at a local hospital following a shooting on UNLV’s campus Wednesday.

The suspect is an older white man in his 60s, two sources told the 8 News Now Investigators. Those sources said the shooter was a former college professor who recently applied for a job at the university and was denied. He may have also had a connection to a person who works on campus.

Police know the identity of the suspect, but will not release his name until his next-of-kin has been notified, Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a 5 p.m. news conference.

“What happened today was a heinous, unforgivable crime,” McMahill said. “It’s a crime that we train for each and every day.” 

Metropolitan and University police responded to reports of an active shooter at the UNLV campus at around 11:45 a.m. Within minutes, both on and off-duty responders went to the campus. 

Director of University Police Services Southern Command Adam Garcia said that two of their detectives responded to the scene and got into a “shoot out” with the suspect outside of Beam Hall.

Beam Hall is the home of the Lee Business School and is near the Student Union building.

The suspect was shot and killed. Sheriff Kevin McMahill said there is no further threat to campus. McMahill said in an afternoon news conference that there was no information on any motive from the shooter.

He said Metro will be conducting their investigation into the morning.

“I had no doubt that the response would be appropriate, it would be swift, it would be quick,” Governor Lombardo said. “Today, LVMPD did a fantastic job along with the University PD.”  

“I want to commend the security out at UNLV for their instantaneous reaction,” Mayor Carolyn Goodman added.  

McMahill added that four additional people were taken to local hospitals for panic attacks and two officers were treated injuries receieved while searching the campus for victims.

Tropicana is closed at both directions at Las Vegas Boulevard to Maryland Parkway. Expect delays and use alternate routes when possible. Maryland Parkway is closed to traffic near UNLV from Flamingo to Tropicana Avenue. Drivers are urged to stay away from the area.

Paradise is closed at both directions at Harmon to Russell.

Garcia said all NSHE campuses in Southern Nevada are closed, out of an abundance of caution. He said there is no threat to any other campus. CSN campuses are expected to reopen tomorrow.

UNLV campus will remain closed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, Gracia said. It is not known yet if the campus will open next week.

“There are a lot of additional calls coming from students who are hunkered down, they’re afraid, they’re scared,” McMahill said in an afternoon conference.

Officers were evacuating unit by unit, building by building to make sure there were no additional victims or subjects, McMahill said.

If you are looking for a loved one who was on the UNLV campus, an informational line and website have been set up at 702-455-AIDE (2433) or facofsouthernnevada.org. The information there will be limited, Fire Chief Steinback said.  

There is a reunification center at the North Hall of the Convention Center. Students are being taken to that area. “It will take some time but we will [be] transporting those who are on campus to the Convention Center to be reunified and to provide assistance,” a Clark County official said.

“On behalf of the state of Nevada, we are here to help provide resources to the benefit of the victims and to express my concern for the victims and favorable thoughts to the families,” Lombardo said.

Students and faculty evacuated from campus were also taken to the Thomas and Mack Center.

The basketball game between UNLV and the University of Dayton was canceled following the shooting, Dayton Basketball said on X.

UNLV Police sent out a social post about the shots fired in the BEH (Beam Hall) building. They told students and faculty to evacuate to a safe area. RUN-HIDE-FIGHT is what campus police posted and sent to students.

Scared students hid in classrooms. A student identified as Matthew said he barricaded in his classroom and pushed six tables against the door. He said everyone was panicked.

“It’s very scary when you go to a college campus as open as this one,” he said. “People are scared now because every time you step on a college campus, there are shootings every single year now. I wasn’t even close to it and I’m still scared out of my mind right now.”

“You see this stuff happening on television all the time, unfortunately mass shootings are a common thing in this country,” UNLV student Najah Ali said. “It doesn’t really hit you until it happens on your own campus.”

Ali told 8 news Now that she lives on campus and was there when the shooting began. The “SAFE” app altered her to the situation, but she said the gravity of it hasn’t quite registered.

“I am still at a loss of words. I can’t really feel it and I feel like that the common theme among all my friends. That we can’t believe this is happening and this is a real thing.”

Another UNLV student spoke with 8 News Now by phone.

UNLV instructor Miles Thomas detailed the moments when the shooting occurred.

“They escorted us out of the building and as I exited the building that’s when I saw the shattered glass from the gunshots in the student union,” Thomas said. “There was a second when I thought I was gonna … I thought that was it.”

Thomas said he first became fearful when he heard three gunshots.

“Pop pop pop, and I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ So we were sitting there and so I turned to my two students and I said, ‘I think we should get down.’”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.