LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The four people shot on campus at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Wednesday, three of whom have died, have all been identified as faculty members.
Two of the three people who were killed have been identified by the Clark County Coroner’s Office as Professor Cha Jan “Jerry” Chang, 64, of Henderson, Nevada, and Assistant Professor Patricia Navarro Velez, 39, of Las Vegas.
According to the coroner, the cause of death for Chang was a gunshot wound to the head. The cause of death for Velez was multiple gunshot wounds.
The third deceased victim has been identified but a name has not been released. The coroner’s office is working to identify the legal next of kin. A fourth person is still being treated for injuries at the hospital.
Chang had been teaching at UNLV since 2001, most recently at the Lee Business School. His academic profile shows he had been published in several journals and featured as a speaker at numerous conferences. He was a certified information systems auditor.
Navarro’s teaching focus was in accounting information systems. She was researching cybersecurity disclosures and assurance, internal control weakness disclosure, and data analytics.
A fourth person, only identified as a 38-year-old male visiting professor is still being treated at the hospital for life-threatening injuries.
“On behalf of the office, our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and those impacted by this tragic event,” the coroner’s office said in a statement.
Sources told Nexstar’s KLAS the gunman, identified as Tony Polito, was a longtime business professor who had unsuccessfully sought a job at UNLV. Sheriff Kevin McMahill said investigators are still working to pin down a motive, but the gunman did not appear to be targeting students. McMahill said he entered campus with a list of people he was seeking.
