UNLV Shooting: Police Mistakenly Direct Gunman to Exit, Later Killed in Shootout
In a tragic turn of events, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department released footage that revealed a critical moment during their response to a deadly shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) earlier this month. The video showed two responding officers inadvertently directing the gunman out of the building, mistaking him for a bystander.
The incident occurred as officers, with weapons drawn, rushed up a flight of stairs amidst a chaotic search for the suspect and victims. During this frantic pursuit, one of the officers can be heard instructing an individual on the ground floor, later identified as the shooter, to exit the building. The suspect, 67-year-old Anthony Polito, briefly appeared in the footage, clad in a long black trench coat. At the moment, there was no visible sign he was armed.
Clark County Undersheriff Andrew Walsh, speaking to The Associated Press, acknowledged that the officers were unaware of their encounter with Polito. He explained that they lacked a detailed description of the shooter and were aware of additional police presence on the first floor.
Approximately a minute after being directed out, Polito engaged in a shootout with university police officers outside the building and was killed. Fortunately, no one outside was harmed during this exchange.
The shooting, which occurred during a lunch hour in a busy courtyard outside the business school, took the lives of three UNLV professors. The victims were Naoko Takemaru, 69, an associate professor of Japanese studies; Cha Jan "Jerry" Chang, 64, from the Management, Entrepreneurship & Technology department; and Patricia Navarro Velez, 39, an accounting professor.
Police have not confirmed a clear motive for the shooting but noted that Polito was facing financial difficulties. He had been rejected for teaching positions at UNLV and other Nevada schools. Before the incident, Polito had left a tenured position at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, where he had taught business for over 15 years.
This incident highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement in rapidly evolving and chaotic situations like active shooter events. The footage release and subsequent analysis underscore the importance of clear communication and situational awareness in emergency responses. The shooting at UNLV not only resulted in the loss of esteemed faculty members but also raised questions about campus safety and the procedures in place to protect students and staff.