UNLV shooting: All 4 victims shot identified as faculty members, university says

LAS VEGAS — The four victims of the shooting at the University of Nevada Las Vegas on Wednesday have been identified as faculty members.

>> Read more trending news

“Yesterday was the most difficult day in the history of our university. Words are still hard to come by as we’re only beginning to process the grief, loss, anger, and fear associated with Wednesday’s tragic campus shooting that took the lives of three of our cherished faculty members. Another faculty member remains hospitalized,” UNLV’s President Keith E. Whitfield said in a statement.

“I am in the process of working with the university’s senior leadership team, in coordination with the Nevada System of Higher Education, to determine timing of the remainder of our academic calendar this semester, including finals and commencement. I anticipate sharing an update on Friday,” Whitfield said.

Two of the faculty members who were killed were identified by the university as Patricia Navarro Velez and Cha Jan “Jerry” Chang. Both were members of the Lee Business School faculty.

The Clark County coroner’s office said that Chang, 64, and Navaroo-Velez, 39, were both professors, the Associated Press reported.

Navarro-Velez was an accounting professor who had a Ph.D. in accounting. She focused on cybersecurity disclosure and data analytics research, the university’s website said, according to the AP.

Chang was an associate pressor in the Management, Entrepreneurship & Technology department at the business school, the AP reported. He had a Ph.D, in management information systems and had been teaching at UNLV since 2001.

A third victim who was killed Wednesday was also a faculty member but their identity has not been released due to next of kin notification, the AP reported.

A fourth victim who was shot remains hospitalized Thursday, according to the AP.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 20

University of Nevada Las Vegas shooting LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 06: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department vehicles head toward the UNLV campus after a shooting on December 06, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to Las Vegas Metro Police, a suspect is dead and multiple victims are reported after a shooting on the campus. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)