Former Guam resident and UNLV student speaks about deadly shooting

Multiple people were killed in a shooting that unfolded on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) campus early this morning, while many of us were just waking up.

The gunman is dead and Las Vegas authorities are investigating what motivated the shooting.

The university is known to have a significant number of former Guam residents enrolled there and we had the chance to hear from a Guam native on the tragedy.

Dededo native Stephanie Au-Yeung was scheduled to head to class at UNLV on Wednesday when she got an alarming message from university police.

A gunman going on a rampage, shooting multiple people on the campus, and taking the lives of at least three.

Au-Yeung shared with us, “When I first heard of it, I didn't think it was that serious just due to how Guam is, where school shootings isn’t that much of a common topic or actively happening. So my first instinct was to text all of my friends that live on campus making sure they were ok.”

Au-Yeung says she was about 15 minutes away from the university at the time.

”I definitely did think I was very lucky. That's why my first response was to check on my friends and the people that I knew were there. It was pretty scary. It's not a situation I'm used to,” She said. 

Many of her friends are also former Guam residents.

“There is definitely a big Guam community at UNLV. I know a bunch of people that are older and have graduated from FD and Academy. I know a good amount of them where we have Guam parties and hang out. So, it’s a really nice community out here,” Au-Yeung shared. 

“I texted a bunch of them asking if they were ok or on campus. I am friends with the older ones who live off campus, which is lucky for them.”

Police in Las Vegas have been able to identify the gunman but are not yet releasing his name.

As of midday Guam time, authorities reported three dead and another in critical condition.

While the investigation into what motivated the deadly shooting, the campus will remain closed for the rest of the week.

UNLV instructor Miles Thomas told his students to stay away for now.

Thomas said, “I didn't get really scared until, um, we were sitting there quietly and I heard three gunshots, pop, pop, pop. And I was like, oh my god.”

Au-Yeung agreed it’s just too soon to think about going back.

“Just a general anxiety of like it just happened. I know this would happen for a lot of people where you wouldn’t want to go back to school a day after you heard that fellow students were shot or there were shooters on campus. It doesn’t feel safe no matter how many news reports there are that the campus is clear. UNLV is free speech and it's an open campus which means anyone could go on campus,” She said.

Au-Yeung also expressed, “I am very thankful that I wasn’t there and still praying for those who got injured and those affected by people who know people and for the families.”