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CrimeUnited States of America

Las Vegas shootings: Police say 3 victims dead, plus gunman

December 7, 2023

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was the scene of an active incident, where three victims were fatally gunned down. Police say the perpetrator is dead and the threat to public safety is over.

https://p.dw.com/p/4ZrWl
Law enforcement agents wearing bulletproof vests approach a building at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas with assault rifles drawn as they respond to an active shooter situation
Police say the suspect was found dead but have released no information about the number of victims nor the severity of their injuriesImage: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Police on Wednesday responded to a shooting at the University of Nevada's Las Vegas (UNLV) campus that left at least three people dead before the suspect's own death.

It was not initially clear whether the suspect was shot dead by police or had committed suicide. Another person who was shot by the gunman is in a critical condition.

What we know happened

The university released a post on X shortly after noon local time (2000 GMT) Wednesday telling students, "This is not a test. RUN-HIDE-FIGHT."

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMP) also took to social media Wednesday to announce that officers were at the scene and had "contained" the suspect. Moments later the department announced that the suspect "has been located and is deceased." 

Sheriff Kevin McMahill later added that there was no further threat on campus. 

Authorities released no additional information on the shooter but told students and residents to avoid the area near the shooting, which took place at Beam Hall, where the university's business school is located. The UNLV student union is also located next to the building.

University authorities instructed people to "shelter in place" until further notice, saying the all clear had not been given, and adding: "Police are evacuating buildings one at a time. This remains an active investigation."

The LVMP said it had "no idea about motive."

Las Vegas familiar with mass shootings

This weekend the US logged its 37th and 38th mass shootings of the year, surpassing last year's grim record of 36.

A mass shooting is defined as an incident in which four or more people are killed, not including the perpetrator.

At least 203 people have been killed in mass shootings in the US this year.

Las Vegas was also the site of one of the worst such incidents in US history when in 2017 a lone gunman in a 32nd-floor suite in the Mandalay Bay Casino killed 60 people and injured over 400 more when he shot more than 1,000 rounds at a crowd gathered at a country music festival below.   

js/rc (AP, Reuters)