The disgraced professor who slaughtered three University of Las Vegas faculty members also sent 22 letters containing a string of white powder to scholars across the country before Wednesday’s shooting, police said.
Anthony Polito, 67, secretly dropped off an envelope at a nearby post office without providing a return address before he headed to the UNLV campus and fatally shot himself after he was turned away from work.
“I learned that in examining that envelope that we were able to intercept – after going through 14,000 pieces of mail and identifying 22 that were sent – the first letter that we opened had an unknown white powdery substance inside,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a press conference Thursday.
The contents of the letter remain unclear, but McMahill said some of the recipients were university leaders at UNLV and East Carolina University, where Polito served as an associate business professor from August 2001 to January 2017.
Polito stormed onto the campus just before noon Wednesday armed with a handgun and 11 magazines of ammunition, the sheriff’s office said. He also brought a list of targets that included professors at UNLV and East Carolina University.
Polito, the suspected shooter, sent 22 possible letters to university academics across the country, including UNLV and his former employer. Anthony Polito / Linkedin
Polito is accused of killing three professors inside Beam Hall, which houses the university’s business school.
Police identified two of the victims as business professors Patricia Navarro-Velez and Cha Jan “Jerry” Chang.
Chang, 64, was killed by a single gunshot to the head, and Navarro-Velez, 39, suffered multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical examiner.
The identity of the third victim, also a professor, has not been released pending family notification.
The fourth victim, a 38-year-old visiting professor, survived the attack and was rushed to hospital, where his condition has been downgraded to life-threatening.
“None of the individuals on the target list were victims,” McMahill said.
Polito allegedly brought a list of targets to the massacre. Getty Images
Polito was killed when he rushed out of the building and exchanged gunfire with police, who eventually “neutralized the threat.”
At Polito’s home, officers found additional documents left by the gunman indicating he intended to die during the mass shooting.
“There’s a chair with an arrow pointing down on the document that’s the last document similar to the last will and testament,” McMahill said.
Investigators also found a box for a .9mm handgun, which was legally purchased last year, and ammunition matching the handgun case and cartridges found at the scene.
Politio’s motive for the string of violence is unclear, but police have insinuated it could be linked to his repeated rejections by the university.
“We know he applied numerous times for jobs with several Nevada institutions of higher education and was rejected each time,” McMahill said.
“We also know the suspect is struggling financially, as evidenced when we served a search warrant on his apartment. There is an eviction notice taped to the front door.”
Officials said it was clear Polito was not targeting students, but said it was possible he had moved to a nearby student union building where the community was enjoying a barbecue before the shooting began.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said two of the three victims killed were professors at UNLV’s business school. LVMPD /Facebook
Polito’s victim was killed on the third and fourth floors of Beam Hall, where faculty and staff offices for the accounting and marketing departments are located.
Navarro-Velez is a professor of accounting who holds a Ph.D. in accounting and is currently focused on research in cybersecurity exposure and data analysis, according to the school’s website.
Chang is an associate professor in the business school’s Management, Entrepreneurship & Technology department and has taught at UNLV since 2001. He holds degrees from Taiwan, Central Michigan University and Texas A&M University, according to his online resume. He obtained his Ph.D. in management information systems from the University of Pittsburgh.
Police do not believe students are Polito’s targets. Getty Images
Following their recognition by Las Vegas authorities, the Nevada System of Higher Education released a statement expressing “sorrow and sadness” over the tragedy.
“Our thoughts are first and foremost with the families and friends of those who lost their lives. We stand with you in your grief and offer our unwavering support during this unimaginably difficult time. The presence of those who are lost will be greatly missed and their memory will remain in our hearts forever,” said the government agency.
There have been 80 school shootings so far this year, breaking last year’s record of 79 during the same period.
Of the school shootings this year, 51 occurred on K-12 campuses while another 29 were at colleges or universities.
By Postal Wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
