911 calls reveal terrifying moment as gunman Anthony Polito strikes UNLV campus killing 3 people
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion is advised.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: As gunfire broke out on the UNLV campus, chilling 911 calls emerged, providing a glimpse into the terrifying moments when assailant Anthony Polito unleashed havoc on Wednesday, December 6, resulting in the deaths of three faculty members and leaving one critically injured in a shooting spree.
A distressed woman, hiding under an office desk, placed a frantic call to emergency services, tearfully reporting, "Someone’s shooting inside the office. Please hurry!"
Chilling 911 calls reveal chaos on UNLV campus
Additional reports from a second caller stated, "I was getting off the elevator. I heard shots fired and screaming, and I ran ... Lots of students are running out ... Two officers ran into the building, and I ran out of the building."
Polito, armed with a legally purchased handgun and 11 ammunition magazines, claimed the lives of Associate Professor ChaJan Chang, 64, Assistant Professor and mother of four, Patricia Navarro, and Japanese studies professor, Naoko Takemaru, driven by a job rejection vendetta.
A fourth victim, a 38-year-old visiting professor, survived the attack and is currently battling life-threatening injuries.
Distraught parents dialed 911, reporting that their children were taking refuge in classrooms out of fear.
While on a call with 911, a worried mother received a text from her frightened daughter, stating, "Mom, I’m scared."
The operator instructed the mother to reassure her daughter, advising her "to stay calm and tell her not to open that door unless she hears them yelling. They will announce, 'Metro police,'" according to ABC.
Anthony Polito engages in fatal clash with law enforcement
Meanwhile, approximately 10 minutes after the first shots were reported at UNLV's Beam Hall, Polito engaged in a fatal confrontation with law enforcement.
The responding officers, identified as Det Nathaniel Drum and Officer Damien Garcia, have been put on administrative leave, following standard procedure during the investigation.
"These two officers are heroes," stated Adam Garcia, police chief for the University Police Services Southern Command. "They kept the worst from becoming a bloodbath."
The shooter had a target list that included professors at both UNLV and East Carolina University, where he had previously served as an associate business professor.
“None of the individuals on the target list became a victim,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill stated.
Additionally, the suspect is accused of sending 22 letters containing laced white powder to scholars nationwide before carrying out the violent massacre.
