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Alleged UNLV Shooter Talked About Zodiac Killer, ‘Obsessed’ With Las Vegas

Author Slone Terranella
Police officers keep watch near the scene outside Frank and Estella Beam Hall, where the UNLV Lee Business School is located, the morning after a shooting left three dead at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus on December 07, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

3 people died and one was in critical condition after a shooting occurred at the University of Nevada Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the most recent report from the New York Times, the victim who was in critical condition is now stable.

Multiple media outlets, such as ABC News, USA Today and the Associated Press, reported that law enforcement sources have allegedly said the shooter is 67-year-old Anthony Polito. Although, police have not officially said that Polito is the dead suspect.

Anthony Polito Tried To Work At UNLV

Polito died at the scene after getting into a shootout with the police. However, USA Today and the AP further reported that Polito actually applied for a job at UNLV, and he did not receive the job.

According to USA Today, East Carolina University hired Polito as an assistant professor in the department of marketing and supply chain management. He also graduated from the University of Georgia with a Ph.D degree in 2002. He also had affiliation with a few other universities.

LVMPD Search UNLV Shooter’s Home

Polito apparently lived in an Henderson apartment complex in the 300 block of North Arroyo Grande Boulevard, the Las Vegas Review-Journal said.

Police searched his apartment and obtained electronic devices such as his phone, USA Today reported.

UNLV Shooter Talked About The Zodiac Killer, ‘Obsessed’ With Las Vegas

To add another eerie layer to this horrible situation, Polito posted a 15-page document about the Zodiac Killer, “saying he decoded some of the cryptic messages from a killer in Northern California in the late 1960s,” The Las Vegas Review-Journal said.

Las Vegas also seemed to be the topic of some of his online posts. ABC 7 said some of his online posting indicated a “fondness for Las Vegas having made some two dozen trips there in the last 15 years and providing numerous links to articles and travel guides on the city.”

USA Today was able to analyze Polito’s Rate My Professor page before it went defunct. “Dozen” of posts said that Polito was “awesome” and had a different way of teaching. It also gave insight into his “eccentric” personality and “infatuation” with Las Vegas.

 

BREAKING NEWS: 3 Deaths, 1 Victim In Critical Condition After UNLV Shooting
‘There’s No Further Threat,’ Sheriff Kevin McMahill Says About UNLV Shooting

Most Recent 'WTF' Casino Robberies In Las Vegas

Casino robberies in Las Vegas happen. But sometimes, they almost seem unreal.

Imagine trying to swindle nearly $770,000 from your job to ride private jets for no reason. Or, posing as a fake casino owner and managing to steal about $100,000 as a 23-year-old.

Well, these are real-life events that have occurred in the crazy environment of Las Vegas casinos.

The lucrative nature of a casino inspires movies, TV shows and sometimes crime. And at times, it can be a crime that almost seems like a thriller movie.

Yes. Crime can find its ways through casino doors. But, I guess this is what makes the whole culture of gaming more exciting in comparison to an insurance office.

From illicit meet-ups, drug trafficking and plain old robbery, the casino can be a magnet to those who are looking for some quick cash.

The Latest Swindle

This past week, officials charged a former employee at the ARIA Resort & Casino for allegedly stealing more than $770,000, according to 8 News Now.

According to the 8 News Now Article, a 38-year-old employee named Brandon Rashaad Johnson was a hotel operations manager since 2013. He would create fraudulent room reservation, charge his credit card then refund the money back on to the same card. So, he allegedly created this convoluted system that allowed him to afford luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, he flew on private jets, and seemed to enjoy having spa visits, attending shows, and he even purchased a home.

Channel 3 reports that he’s facing at least 13 charges and, “Court records indicate Johnson is being held at Clark County Detention Center on $100,000 bail. If he posts bond, he would be released on high-level electronic monitoring.”

Bad Cop

And this story is pretty tame compared to the other ones in casino history. Plus, let’s not forget the time when a former Las Vegas Metro Officer robbed Red Rock, Aliante and the sportsbook at The Rio, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

We may not understand why people decide to rob casinos with — what seems like — half-baked plans or ridiculous plots. But, they make for great stories. Scroll down below for some of the wildest casino and hotel robberies in Las Vegas.

  • The Fake Circa CEO

    Would you believe us if we told you that a 23-year-old basically used social engineering to fool casino employees that HE was the actual owner? Well, this actually happened on June 17, 2023. Erik Gutierrez, now 24 posed as a casino owner by calling the Circa Hotel & Casino’s cage. According to 8 News Now, Gutierrez basically lied to the casino workers and said he needed payment after the “fire department” did an inspection of the fire extinguishers.

    “The payments totaled $314,000, $350,000, and $500,000, plus three smaller deposits, resulting in a loss of $1,170,000 to the hotel,” the article from 8 News Now states. Police were able to track down Gutierrez and caught him red-handed. What’s miraculous is that he was only 23 years old when he pulled off this heist. We still love the Circa, and we feel bad that this happened to them and to the employee!

  • The 25-Year-Old Who Tried To Rob Resorts World

    We imagine that robbing a casino would take more than just a “simple plan.” It probably requires many different solutions, possibilities and thinking. But, one 25-year-old man decided to rob the casino cages at Resorts World Las Vegas and The Venetian Las Vegas, according to Casino.org. Zubaid Ibrahim Al Jarmi robbed Resorts World in November of 2022, and he robbed The Venetian Las Vegas in January 2020. He used the same tactic both times, which involved a note. 

    Essentially, he went to the casinos’ cages and handed the teller a note with most likely a threatening message, according to KTNV. He was serving probation for the robbery that happened in 2020. But according to the Nevada Department of Corrections inamte search, it looks like he’s serving prison time in High Desert State Prison.

  • "Give Me The Stacks,"

    “Give me the stacks or I will shoot you,” an alleged robber told a worker, Fox 5 reported.

    In April 2023, six casinos were robbed: Gold Coast, Green Valley Ranch, Silverton, Rampart, Palace Station and the M Resort. Fox 5 reported that police ended up arresting D’Shante Styles, 33 for these robberies. Like the one stated before, this man also used a note with threating language to coax casino cage workers to give him money. One note from a robbery said, “Put the 10 stacks in the bag or I will shoot!” What a great use of language. How did he get caught? Well, DNA evidence ultimately linked the suspect with the string of robberies.

  • The Pig-Masked Robber Couldn't Squeal His Way Out Of This One

    In 2017, a group of “well-dressed” men burglarized Tēsorīni jewelry store in the luxurious Bellagio Las Vegas, CNN reported. At least one of the assailants was wearing a pig mask while robbing the jewelry store. This scene seems almost “Purge” like. The pig mask adds another layer of horror to this incident.

    Channel 3 reported that the man who allegedly donned the pig mask was a 21-year-old named Sebastian Gonzalez. But in a twist of events, the alleged suspect said that he was forced to partake in the robbery after, “He said people in Mexico threatened to hurt his family if he didn’t follow their instructions to be the group’s lookout.” 

  • A Man Used 'Blackface' While Robbing A Casino

    This is absolutely despicable. A 26-year-old man named Cameron James Kennedy robbed the New York-New York in 2018, the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote. However, he painted his face black and robbed the casino cage, which has many media outlets saying he used “blackface.”

    He allegedly robbed the casino out of $23,000 at gunpoint. The Daily Mail further reported that Kennedy was under federal supervision for previous bank robberies. And in fact, he cut his GPS ankle monitor just hours before committing his New York-New York robbery.

     

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Author Slone Terranella
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