On December 06, 2023, three people were killed and another critically injured in a shooting at Las Vegas University. The suspect involved in the case is also no more.
The Incident
The incident at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a short distance from the gambling hub tourist-packed Las Vegas, was the latest in the United States of America, where gun violence is a part of the daily life fabric. According to our investigators at the scene, we have three deceased victims and one additional victim in critical condition at a local hospital. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police wrote on social media, “The suspect in the Active Shooter Incident is also deceased.”
The Police said they responded to calls around midday and indicated that officers had engaged a suspect on the campus, where gunshots rang out in two locations The television footage showed police military-style vehicles moving near the containment lines as well as dozens of young people being escorted through them.
Local Accounts
One woman told the local broadcaster that she heard a series of loud noises and fled into a building on the campus, from which she was later evacuated by the police. “I was having breakfast, and then I heard three, like loud booms, she told the station. Then, two more, and the police showed up there and ran inside, but then after two minutes, boom boom, more shots. So, I ran into a basement and then we were in the basement for 20 min.
Three hours after the shooting erupted, the university continued to urge people to take shelter in place, saying that the police were working to clear each building in turn, and the investigation remained ongoing. “Law enforcement agencies will potentially come to your doors, follow directions and exit calmly with your hands plainly seen,” the university said.
Brett Forest, a reporter from the local media outlet, told an international media agency that he had been on campus for an assignment and was continued to shelter in place with dozens of students and faculty as they waited for an all-clear from the police.
“We are told they are coming building by building, slowly, letting out each building, slowly letting out each building, making sure no additional victim or anyone inside, so they may take a while, he said. Universities in the area were shuttered for the rest of the day, and flights into the nearby international airport were halted, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
About Las Vegas
Las Vegas is a gambling and entertainment hub that attracts millions of visitors every year, many of whom have come to see large, high-profile events. In November 2023, the city played host to its inaugural Formula One Grand Prix, and in February 2024, it will be the scene of the Super Bowl, the showcase final of the professional American football season. This city was also the scene of one of America’s deadliest-ever mass shootings when a gunman opened fire on a crowded music festival in 2017, killing 60 people.
Gun Violence in the US
Mass shootings are alarmingly common in the United States of America, a country where there are more than people and where efforts to halt and stop gun violence is met with stiff resistance. The country has recorded over 600 mass shootings in 2023. According to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-governmental organisation defines a mass shooting as four or more people are killed or wounded.
An American media agency which keeps a tally of mass shootings said on December 4, 2023, there have been 38 such incidents in which four people were killed Efforts to control gun violence have for years run up against opposition from the Republican party, the staunch defenders of what they interpret as an unfettered constitutional right to weaponry. The political paralysis endures despite widespread outrage over current shootings.
