Former professor kills three in US college shooting

Three people were killed in a shooting at the Las Vegas campus of the University of Nevada (UNLV) on Wednesday morning.

The gunman, described as a white former college professor in his 60s, was killed in a shootout with police.

One other victim is in stable condition at a local hospital, police said.

The campus, about two miles from the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, will remain closed on Thursday and Friday.

There have been more than 630 mass shootings in the US this year. Las Vegas is also the site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, where more than 50 people were killed at a music festival in 2017.

The Associated Press has reported that he had applied for a job at the school.

Police said they would not release his name until his family has been notified of his death.

Speaking at a Wednesday press conference, Kevin McMahill, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department sheriff, also said that they had “no idea on the motive” as of now and did not have details on his weapon.

The university first tweeted at around 11:53 local time (19:53 GMT) that police were responding to reports of shots fired on campus.

About 20 minutes later, the university said campus police were responding to an additional report of shots near the Student Union building.

It warned students at Beam Hall to “evacuate to a safe area” and to “RUN-HIDE-FIGHT”, which is a common active shooter protocol in the US.

Adam Garcia, university police chief, said two campus officers engaged the suspect in a shootout before he was struck and killed.

One additional victim is in stable condition at a local hospital, the sheriff said at a Wednesday evening press conference. Four other people were also taken to hospital for panic attacks and two police officers were treated for minor injuries.

One student who was on campus told a local ABC station that it seemed like police were on campus right away.

Describing the scene to the reporter he said: “You don’t know what to do. You’re calling your family, texting your friends like ‘I love you guys’ because he [the shooter] could burst through the door at any minute.”

Shortly before 13:00 local time, the university said police were “evacuating buildings one at a time”.

A ground stop was temporarily issued at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport – which is near the school – and the airport is warning travellers that roadways around the airport are closed due to police activity.

President Joe Biden said in a statement that UNLV is the “latest college campus to be terrorized by a horrific act of gun violence” and that he and First Lady Jill Biden are “praying for the families of our fallen”.

The president is expected to visit Las Vegas on Friday for an infrastructure event, before continuing to a campaign reception in Los Angeles. The White House has not said if his travel plans will change in light of the shooting.

Carolyn Goodman, mayor of Las Vegas, called it “tragic and heart-breaking news” and said she was “praying for everyone on campus”.

Nevada’s Governor Joe Lombardo said his office was in “constant communication” with Las Vegas police, the university and emergency responders.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are assisting local police with the investigation.

The Clark County Fire Department has established a family reunification centre at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Late on Wednesday night, students were allowed back into their campus housing, with the university tweeting that there would be a “strong police presence.”

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