Las Vegas officials thank officers who saved lives during UNLV shooting
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Two officers who helped victims during the 2023 shooting on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, were honored Wednesday.
As students and faculty ran from the active shooter inside Beam Hall at UNLV, responding officers Jacob Noriega and Ty Vesperas spotted a professor standing nearby, bleeding from a gunshot wound in the left arm.
“We were able to apply the tourniquet,” Noreiga said. “Lifted him out of there, put him in the back of Ty’s car.”
The two officers’ heroics were recognized for the first time during a Wednesday press conference at the LVMPD Joint Emergency Training Institute.
“Your first responders here in the Southern Nevada community did not hesitate,” Sheriff Kevin McMahill said. “Police, fire and EMS they went to the danger, they took action, they saved lives and eliminated the threat.”
For two years, the Engelstad Foundation, a medical-based nonprofit organization, and Touro University, the largest medical school in Southern Nevada, have provided emergency medical response kits and training to thousands of police officers.
“Thanks to the Engelstad Foundation, we have been able to supply and train just about all of the Metro officers.” Dr. Andrew Priest, Touro University President and Provost, said. “As has been shown in the large event at UNLV, on a daily basis, they’re telling me they go through a handful of these individual first aid kits for a variety of reasons.”
Sheriff McMahill reminded attendees the 3,500 vehicles and individual first aid kits police have are to render aid as soon as possible before paramedics arrive.
“We have actually gotten so far into this mindset that after we have shot somebody during an armed encounter between my officers and a suspect,” he said. “We put the gun away and saved the suspect’s life.”
In February 2024 Metro police have used 39 kits to save the lives of victims and suspects.
“We’re not paramedics, we’re not firefighters, we’re not EMS but oftentimes we find ourselves there first and we have the opportunity to save a life,” McMahill said.
Uses of Vehicle and Individual First Aid Kits by LVMPD during February 2024
10 Tourniquets
5 Emergency bandages
4 Wound packing gauze
4 Combat gauze
11 Chest seal
2 Medical tape
3 Medical scissors
UNLV strike team
Amid the fog, two officers fired their simulated weapons at a would-be shooter during a training exercise for the media inside Metro’s JETI facility.
Standing nearby, Vesperas and Noriega, the two officers who saved the fourth UNLV shooting victim’s life, recalled their actions during the incident.
“I just remember Jake saying, ‘Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.’” Vesperas said. “We ended up picking up the victim, and put him in my patrol vehicle and drove him out.”
The officers credited the opportunity to save the victim’s life to the other strike team, which was already inside Beam Hall searching for the shooter.
Noriega noted another shooting event that required his medical training.
“During October first our squad was one of the first squads that were showing up down there,” he said. “This is not something that is brand new for us.”
With equipment on hand and training committed to memory, the only thing left is the rituals officers do to prepare themselves to serve the community.
“I try to say a prayer on the way there,” Noriega said.
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