Alleged UNLV shooter published personal attacks on website days before shooting

Linsey Lewis
·2 min read
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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Days before the shooting that killed three UNLV professors and left one other visiting professor hospitalized, Tony Polito, the alleged gunman, appeared to have published a document related to the contents of envelopes police say he sent to individuals across the country.

Polito’s website hosted his “theories” on “various mysteries and puzzles,” including one that claimed that he had solved the Zodiac killer case. On. Dec. 2, four days before the UNLV shooting, Polito posted a link on his website called:

“!!! CONTENT OF ENVELOPES !!!”

The link led to a 16-page document with what appeared to be personal letters to educators across the country and the alleged shooter’s opinion on the current state of higher education.

The link appeared to have been removed from the website on Dec. 6, the day of the shooting.

Polito appears to name 20 educators in the document. Some of those named seem to be previous coworkers, while others appear to be from institutions that rejected Polito’s employment. One such note was addressed to a former UNLV president. The writings, in which Polito appears to refer to himself as “Dr160IQ,” include personal attacks and accuse educators of doing him wrong.

Investigators said Polito applied “numerous” times for jobs at several Nevada System Higher Education institutions and was denied.

At the end of the document, Polito expresses his discontent with the current state of higher education, claiming faculty are no longer hired on merit but if they will “go along,” and “turn a blind eye.”

Police say they found a dashcam in Polito’s vehicle, and using that camera, they were able to determine that Polito went to a Henderson post office before the shooting. At the post office, Polito sent 22 letters with no return address on any envelopes, police said.

While screening some of the intercepted envelopes, police discovered a letter that contained an “unknown white powder substance.” On Thursday, LVMPD officials said that the powder was deemed harmless.

Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department encouraged those who may receive a mailing with no return address to contact local law enforcement.

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