GhLinks Media
The gunman who killed three at the University of Nevada on Wednesday has been identified as Anthony Polito, a 67-year-old professor who had been rejected for a job at the college, according to reports.
Anthony Polito had connections to Georgia and North Carolina.
His failed job application was reported by 8 News Now, with sources telling the site that he may also have had connections to a person who works on campus.
Anthony Polito previously worked at East Carolina University in North Carolina, according to the official.
Anthony Polito earned a Ph.D. in Management from The Terry College of Business at The University of Georgia, with concentration in the area of Operations Management.
He also earned an MBA from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University as well as a double undergraduate major in Mathematics and Statistics from Radford University.
Polito maintained a LinkedIn page and a personal website. On the website, he published a 15-page document on the Zodiac Killer, claiming to have decoded some of the cryptic messages from the killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s.
He also indicates a fondness for Las Vegas, having made some two dozen trips there in the last 15 years and providing numerous links to articles and travel guides on the city.
On LinkedIn, he described himself as a “semi-retired university professor” living in Las Vegas.
How many victims are there?
In addition to the four victims who were shot, four people were taken to hospitals due to symptoms of panic attacks, the sheriff said. Two law enforcement officers were treated for minor injuries suffered during the search for victims.
Three patients were taken to Sunrise Hospital, spokesperson Marissa Mussi said.
The sheriff said the condition of the wounded victim – initially listed as critical – had been upgraded to stable.
Timeline of events: What we know
The shooting was first reported on campus at 11:45 a.m.
Shots were reported in the area of Beam Hall, home of UNLV’s Lee Business School, as well as the school’s student union, which is next door.
Both campus police and Las Vegas metro officers responded to the scene.
Two detectives with the campus force ultimately were the first to locate and engage the suspect, according to campus police Chief Adam Garcia.
“Two of our detectives responded to the scene,” Garcia said at a 5 p.m. briefing. “They immediately engaged the suspect in a shootout. The suspect was struck and is deceased at this time.”
McMahill said the quick response likely prevented further deaths. A large group of students were gathered in the area for a campus event, where students were playing games, eating food and building Legos.
“If it hadn’t been for the heroic actions of one of those police officers who responded, there could have been countless additional lives taken,” the sheriff said at the 5 p.m. briefing. “Armed confrontation of the suspect by law enforcement stopped the suspect’s further actions.”
