Las Vegas campus closed as police investigate deadly shooting

(Reuters) - The University of Nevada at Las Vegas will stay shut on Thursday as authorities work to understand why a shooter opened fire on campus, killing three people and wounding a fourth as students and faculty prepared for final exams.

Police have declined to publicly identify the suspect in Wednesday's shooting, going so far as to avoid any mention of the assailant's gender, nor have they disclosed information about the four victims or their connection to the university.

The school, known by its initials UNLV, will be closed at least through Friday, according to police. The UNLV website said classes had been canceled through Dec. 10.

UNLV President Keith Whitfield wrote on the site that he was grieving the victims, and urged university community members to seek help if they needed it.

"My heart breaks for the many students, faculty, staff, parents, loved ones, and community members who suffered through hours of painful uncertainty while officers ensured that our campus was safe and secure again," Whitfield wrote.

Law enforcement received a call reporting gunfire on campus at about 11:45 a.m. and "immediately engaged the suspect in a shootout," UNLV police chief Adam Garcia told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday. He said the suspect was fatally shot by campus police.

No mention was made of a possible motive for the violence, and police did not disclose the type of firearm used.

Eyewitness Cesar Marquez, 33, a political organizer, was in a meeting with about 70 students when the shooting broke out. Marquez and the students locked the door, turned the light down, and hid under the tables, he told Reuters.

"We just stayed quiet," he said. "Stayed right there until the SWAT team came in and were able to evacuate us. It was a scary time when somebody you don't know tried to open the door and we weren't sure if it was the shooter or it was the police."

The surviving gunshot victim was listed in stable condition, Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Several other people suffered panic attacks during the pandemonium, and a number of officers were treated for minor injuries sustained while searching the sprawling campus for additional victims or suspects, according to McMahill. None were found.

"If it hadn't been for the heroic actions of one of those police officers who responded, there could have been countless additional lives taken," the sheriff added.

(Reporting by Rich McKay; Editing by Bill Berkrot)