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Three victims have been confirmed dead after reports of an active shooter at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), campus on Wednesday afternoon.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) reported on its X (formerly Twitter) account that the response was to "preliminary reports" of a shooting near Frank and Estella Beam Hall (BEH). The building, which is on Maryland Parkway, is home to the university's Lee Business School, according to the UNLV website.
"There appears to be multiple victims at this time," Las Vegas police wrote in the post, which went up about 12:04 p.m. PST. "Please avoid the area and we will have more information soon."
At 12:37 p.m. PST, the police said on X that the suspect in the shooting was "located and is deceased."
In an update, LVMPD said that three people, in addition to the shooter, have died.
"According to our investigators at the scene, we have three deceased victims and one additional victim in critical condition at a local hospital," Las Vegas police posted on X.
The UNLV's X account said just before noon local time that university police were responding to a "confirmed active shooter in BEH." At 12:19 p.m. PST, the UNLV account reported "additional" shots were fired at the campus' Student Union, which is adjacent to BEH on Maryland Parkway.
"Evacuate the area, RUN-HIDE-FIGHT," the post read.
LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters at a media briefing Wednesday that there was no further threat to the public and that multiple victims had been taken to nearby area hospitals.
"Right now, we know there are 3 victims, but unknown extent of the injuries," McMahill said in an update shared to the department's X account. "That number could change. We will update you when we know more."
Newsweek reached out via email to Las Vegas police Wednesday evening for additional information.
University Medical Center of Southern Nevada (UMC) said on X that it had not received any patients from the shooting. The facility remains "fully open to all patients and visitors" at this time, and police are staged outside all UMC entrances to "ensure the safest possible environment for our patients, visitors and staff."
"As always, our UMC Trauma Center team stands ready to deliver the care our community deserves during its greatest times of need."
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada reported road closures at 12:05 p.m. PST because of "police activity" on Maryland Parkway. Parts of University Center Drive are also closed at this time.
Law enforcement is encouraging the public to avoid the area because of the "active investigation" into the situation.
"Tragic and heartbreaking news coming out of @unlv," Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman wrote on X. "Praying for everyone on campus as law enforcement responds to the situation."
U.S. Representative Dina Titus, whose district includes Las Vegas, said on X that her staff was "closely monitoring" the situation and advised the public to "avoid the area and immediately evacuate to a safe area."
Nevada Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto also said on X that their offices were monitoring the situation.
UNLV said people on campus should continue to shelter in place as the investigation continues. Police are evacuating university buildings "one at a time," the university said on X.
All institutions that are part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, including UNLV, are closed for the remainder of the day. The Clark County Fire Department has established a family reunification center at the Las Vegas Convention Center for those impacted by the shooting.
The location of Wednesday's shooting is only a few miles east of where a gunman opened fire at concertgoers attending the Route 91 Harvest musical festival on October 1, 2017. The shooting killed 58 people and wounded several hundred.
Wednesday also marks the 11th annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence, which is hosted by the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation. The event has been hosted every year since the mass shooting at Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on December 14, 2012. Twenty-six people were killed in that shooting.
Update 12/06/23, 7:15 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
About the writer
Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more