LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Classes are expected to resume in the fall at the UNLV building where four staff members were shot last December.
That's according to the latest "Rebel Recovery Update" from university president Keith E. Whitfield.
Frank and Estella Beam Hall had been closed amid an investigation into the shooting and repair of damages done during law enforcement's initial search and evacuation.
University officials told us they've invested time and money into upgrading security there. Even then, some students say they feel uncomfortable returning to the site.
It has been nearly nine months since three professors were shot and killed here at Beam Hall on UNLV's campus. The building has been closed ever since. Now, the plan is to reopen at the start of the school year, with a long list of added safety measures.
Dec. 6, 2023 is a day that shook the UNLV campus and tragically ended with the loss of three esteemed professors.
Chaos erupted at Beam Hall when a gunman made his way inside.
Body-worn camera footage from the day of the shooting showed that officers were unable to access many locked rooms in Beam Hall and began battering through the drywall in an effort to ensure neither shooter nor victims were concealed inside.
Since then, the building's doors have remained closed but will reopen for students at the start of the upcoming school year.
"Every single time I walk past it, I think about it, every time," said student Jocelyn Newman.
Newman was next to Beam Hall minutes before shots rang out. She's now preparing to start her second year on campus and says safety is top of mind.
"The person that came here wasn't a professor here. He didn't attend the school at all, and nobody knew who he was," she said.
"You can never have too much security," said student Daryl Galitive. "It's easy to go on campus. It's a very open campus."
Galitive, a senior, echoed some of those same feelings.
On Thursday, UNLV President Keith Whitfield outlined preparations for the reopening of Beam Hall, which has been at the center of the university's efforts to enhance campus security.
Building upgrades include:
- Access to the third, fourth, and fifth floors through stairwells and elevators will require a proximity card or stairwell key throughout the fall semester. Building occupants are encouraged to plan accordingly.
- A total of five video surveillance cameras have been installed in the elevator lobbies on the first through fifth floors as part of a pilot program to assess the possibility of adding them to more campus buildings in the future.
- A security desk has been added to the first floor atrium and will be staffed during building hours by a uniformed security officer during the fall semester.
- More than 130 damaged doors and/or door frames have been replaced in Beam Hall, along with another 350 doors in other campus buildings impacted during the Dec. 6 response. The building’s fire alarm system on floors three through five has also been replaced.
- New telephones have been installed in classrooms with enhanced emergency notification capabilities.
"It just brings peace of mind," Galitive said.
While some students say it's a step in the right direction, they're hoping similar upgrades will be made in every building.
"I don't think it should be just a Lee business school. I think it should be something that's all around. I feel like it would make us feel a lot safer," Newman said.
Beam Hall is set to reopen Aug. 13.
UNLV officials told us the enhanced video surveillance cameras in Beam Hall are part of a pilot program that may be considered for other buildings in the future.
