Rebel Recovery
On Dec. 6, 2023, UNLV was forever changed when a gunman entered Frank and Estella Beam Hall. He killed three beloved faculty members, seriously injured a fourth, and brought trauma and grief to our community. In the wake of tragedy, university leaders created the Rebel Recovery Program to address the safety, security, and well-being of the UNLV family. They also created a Memorial Committee to ensure the lives and teaching legacies of professors Jerry Cha-Jan Chang, Patricia Navarro Velez, and Naoko Takemaru are never forgotten.
"Your kindness and compassion have illuminated my darkest moments. This experience has taught me so much about the power of community, the importance of compassion, and the incredible things that emerge in times of adversity. And it has shown me that, even in the most challenging times, there is hope, there is always a path forward."
Economics professor Daraboth "Bot" Rith, who survived multiple gunshot wounds, in a speech to campus on Sept. 10, 2024. After months of recovery, he returned to full-time teaching in-person this fall.
Mobilizing Mental Health Providers
The immediate need was extensive, so the university’s various counseling clinics – including CAPS and UNLV PRACTICE – extended their hours and were grateful for services of community partners, like the Resiliency and Justice Center, which was created by Clark County and state agencies after the 1 October shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. Numerous practitioners in private practice, many of them alumni, also provided services pro bono.
Student Well-being for the Long Term
Coming out of the pandemic, colleges across the U.S. have seen a significant rise in mental health issues among students, and UNLV was no different even before the shooting. Since 2021, UNLV has increased student counseling center staffing by 50%. It embedded two staff members in the residence halls and expanded training to help all faculty and staff respond better to student needs.
Repairing the Physical Damage
Once police cleared the campus, various facilities-related teams took on an extraordinary amount of work to restore operations, often working after-hours to avoid disruptions. Some 500 doors, for example, were damaged as law enforcement officers swept through buildings to methodically clear thousands of people from lockdown. Temporary repairs, often requiring inventive approaches, were made as insurance filings and the bidding process for vendors could be completed for full repairs.
Officers Recognized
While first responders from city, county, and state all swiftly came to aid, it was two University Police Department officers who first confronted the gunman. Within 10 minutes of the first call for help, Det. Nathaniel Drum and Officer Damian Garcia took out the shooter. They received the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators’ Award for Valor for their actions.
Reclaiming the Space
Frank and Estella Beam Hall reopened its classrooms for the fall 2024 semester with improvements to create a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment. In addition, the Campus Memorial Committee is commissioning artwork for the entrance of the building and is developing plans for a permanent healing garden installation near the Baepler Xeric Garden in the center of campus.
Continued Focus on Safety
Safety improvements in Beam Hall included the installation of video surveillance cameras as part of a pilot program to assess adding them elsewhere on campus. And throughout campus, classroom telephones were upgraded to ensure faculty have immediate access to emergency alerts. This fall, new light poles and wall-mounted fixtures will be installed around campus as part of a $1 million initiative to enhance visibility.
Outpouring of Support
Immediately, our community and supporters around the world rallied behind us. Offers of accommodations and other in-kind donations poured in, and donors have contributed $390,000 to the UNLV Emergency Support Fund and to scholarships established by the UNLV Foundation in memory of the victims. The scholarships will support future students in accounting, information systems, and Japanese studies.
Preserving Our Story
The day after the shooting, impromptu memorials soon formed from flowers, notes of condolences, and other tokens of remembrance. UNLV Special Collections & Archives began a central repository for documents, videos, and other materials that tell the story of the campus’ response. The UNLV Oral History Center is adding first-person accounts on the lives of the victims and the experiences of survivors and witnesses.