UNLV mass shooting: Suspect Anthony Polito was a 67-year-old professor who was denied a job at university

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: The gunman who is allegedly responsible for the mass shooting on the campus of the University of Nevada on December 6 has been identified as Anthony Polito, a 67-year-old business studies professor who was denied a job at the school.

According to the Daily Mail, Polito was armed with a pistol during the attack. He opened fire on the fourth floor of the Lee Business School just before noon, killing three and critically injuring another.

Law enforcement officials soon responded and located and gunned down the suspect within 20 minutes of their arrival.

Sheriff's statement at press conference

Calling the tragedy a "heinous, unforgivable crime," Las Vegas Metro Sheriff Kevin McMahill withheld the identity of the dead shooter until his family had been notified.

The police engaged the shooter outside of Beam Hall, said the sheriff.

"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."

Four people, excluding the ones who were shot, had to be taken to hospitals due to symptoms of panic attacks, he added. Two officers were also treated for minor injuries that they reportedly suffered during the search for victims.

Student and staff share their traumatizing experience

UNLV posted an emergency notice on its website at 11.54 am, stating, "University Police responding to report of shots fire in BEH evacuate to a safe area, RUN-HIDE-FIGHT.”

A student told KVVU, "I was sitting outside, I was just having breakfast. I heard three loud booms and I was like, ‘Oh, what was that?’ Police showed up, then I ran inside."

“After two minutes, more shots. I ran into the basements, and I was there for 20. I was just hearing a lot of shots," added the unnamed student.

Professor Brett Johnsen was teaching in Beam Hall when he heard a loud noise but continued to teach.

"Then an alarm came on. I’ve never heard an alarm like that before, it didn’t sound like a fire alarm," he told CNN.

The students calmly packed their stuff, but when they "began to walk out of the class, that’s when things got real,” explained Johnsen. He told the students to get back inside, lock the doors, and get on the ground.

After checking the situation a while later, he urged them to run as fast as they could.