LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The site of the shooting that left three dead on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) will reopen in August with security enhancements, the University’s president said Thursday.
In the release from UNLV President Keith Whitfield, information was given on the plan to reopen Beam Hall, the location at the center of the shooting that killed three and injured another. According to Whitfield, the building has been improved in an effort to provide enhanced safety and security in addition to creating “a welcoming and supportive environment.”
Improvements listed include tighter security when accessing the third, fourth, and fifth floors via stairwells and elevators. A keycard or stairwell key will now be required. Additionally, the release says five cameras have been installed in elevator lobbies in a pilot program that could see additional cameras added to other campus buildings. A security desk was added to the first-floor atrium, the letter said, adding that the desk will be staffed during building hours by a uniformed security officer during the fall semester.
Doors and door frames were replaced in Beam Hall following the December shooting, totaling more than 130, as were 350 other doors impacted during that incident. New phones have been installed in classrooms with “enhanced emergency notification capabilities,” and the building’s fire alarm was replaced on floors three through five.
“Visitors to the building may also notice that interior spaces have been repainted, the first floor landscaping has been refreshed, and new banners and signage are being installed in the east and west atrium spaces,” Whitfield said in the release.
The building is expected to open on August 13.
Anthony Polito, 67, was shot and killed by a campus police officer about 10 minutes into the mass shooting at Beam Hall on Dec. 6, 2023. Lee Business School professors Dr. Jerry Cha-Jan Chang, Dr. Patricia Navarro Velez, and College of Liberal Arts professor Dr. Naoko Takemaru were killed in the incident.
