LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Law enforcement actions when a shooter opened fire at UNLV prevented further loss of life, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said Wednesday evening.
Police have said three people were killed and another person was hospitalized with injuries. The shooter is dead, and had not been publicly identified as of this report.
Reports of a shooting on the fourth floor of Frank and Estella Beam Hall, the university's business school, first came in to police at 11:45 a.m.
In a press conference to share further details about the investigation, McMahill credited a police officer with stopping the shooter from taking additional lives.
"Importantly, there was a gathering just outside of the building where students were playing games and eating food," McMahill said. "There were tables for them to build Legos, and 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.
"Armed confrontation by law enforcement stopped the suspect's further actions," he continued. "I'm proud of the courage of these officers and the UNLV campus police and how they demonstrated that today."
Adam Garcia, chief of the University Police Department that serves UNLV's campus, said two university police detectives confronted the shooter in the minutes after the first reports of shots fired.
"Two of our detectives responded to the scene and immediately engaged the suspect in a shootout," Garcia said. "The suspect was struck and is deceased at this time."
McMahill condemned the crime but commended what he called a swift and decisive response from police and first responders.
"What happened today is a heinous, unforgivable crime. But I want you all to know something: It is a crime that we train for each and every day," he said. "Within minutes, both on- and off-duty responders raced to the campus to prevent further loss of life."
