A professor who previously worked at East Carolina University was identified as the suspect in Wednesday’s deadly shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, according to a law enforcement official. 

The gunman, who was unsuccessful in securing a position at UNLV, killed three people and wounded another before being killed in a shootout with police.

The shooting occurred around 11:45 a.m. and sent shockwaves through the UNLV community, triggering a lockdown and leaving students and faculty scrambling for safety. 

The suspect started firing on the fourth floor of the business school and moved to several floors before being confronted by two university detectives outside the building.

Students and faculty described the terrifying ordeal, with some barricading themselves in classrooms and others evacuating the campus. 

Professor Kevaney Martin, who took cover in her classroom with several students, described the overwhelming fear and relief when the all-clear was finally given.

“It was terrifying. I can’t even begin to explain,” Martin said. “I was trying to hold it together for my students, and trying not to cry, but the emotions are something I never want to experience again.”

“Once we got away from UNLV, we parked and sat in silence,” she said. “Nobody said a word. We were in utter shock.”

The university alerted the community through social media, urging everyone to run, hide, or fight. 

The shooting, which occurred just miles away from the site of the 2017 Mandalay Bay tragedy, has reignited concerns about gun violence and safety on college campuses. 

Authorities emphasized that the swift action of police officers prevented further tragedy, but the incident has left the UNLV community shaken and grieving.

Classes at the university have been canceled through Friday, and the basketball game scheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed. 

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and the identities of the victims and the motive for the attack have not yet been released.