UNLV's Beam Hall Reopens 8 Months After Fatal Shooting

The start of the fall semester at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or UNLV, is here, and in addition to tons of new students and enhanced security and safety measures, Frank and Estella Beam Hall has reopened for classes.

Also known as just Beam Hall, the building reopened on Monday about eight months after the fatal campus shooting that took the lives of three professors and wounded another.

On December 6, 2023, an active shooter took the lives of three professors and seriously wounded another in Beam Hall. The building was then closed for repairs and to help make students and staff feel safer and avoid retraumatizing anyone. On Monday morning at the start of the Fall 2024 semester, the building reopened with $2.5 million in enhanced safety measures.

According to The Nevada Independent and shared by the Associated Press, 160 classes will be taught in Beam Hall, which is about half the number it would typically be.  Each of the classes taught in Beam Hall will also be offered in another building on campus for any student who's not comfortable with being in the building.

Upgrades to the building include: surveillance cameras outside elevators on each floor, armed security officers on the first and second floors, new telephones with enhanced emergency notification capabilities, and the third, fourth, and fifth floors, where faculty offices are, will only be accessible via stairwells or elevators using an access card or key.

Students, faculty, and staff returned to the Las Vegas-based campus after the tragedy in early 2024 at the start of the spring semester.

A week before returning to campus, University President Keith E. Whitfield released information about how the semester, "unlike any we've experienced," will be different from previous semesters.

"Next week, as we begin the spring semester, many of you will return to the UNLV campus for the first time since Dec. 6. I know that this semester will be unlike any we’ve experienced as a university, as we individually and collectively process last month’s tragedy and continue our recovery together," Whitfield wrote in an online statement.

"I also understand that this process is different for everyone. We will heal as individuals and as a university, but it’s going to take time, and we won’t rush it. As you continue your Rebel journey with us this spring, be assured that UNLV remains fully committed to the safety and wellness of our students, faculty, and staff."

UNLV made sure to let students know that there are a variety of resources to help mental and emotional wellness with events, drop-in and group-based trauma therapy sessions, and more.

"The road to recovery will be focused, inclusive, compassionate, and driven by the notion that the safety, security, and well-being of the UNLV family - our employees and students - is our priority. This program will be an ongoing and evolving effort," an Instagram Story shared earlier this year read.

"We're committed to giving students a voice in our campus recovery, and we'll host a series of student-focused events, focus groups, and activities throughout the semester."

The fall semester has more students than ever on campus. The number is record-breaking for the university.

It's been reported that 32,000 students are enrolled in classes and about one-third of that number represents new students to the campus.

According to KLAS, there are more than 1,700 students moving onto campus, which is also a record number of students in UNLV's residential housing.

Last week, the university held its Rebel Ready Week to introduce new students to campus.

"It's all about helping our students create a sense of belongingness and helping them connect to each other and our campus," Barb Roberts, associate vice president of Enrollment Management said. "It's leading us right into the beginning of classes next week and we're really excited to have everyone here."

Rebel Ready Week took place from Monday, August 19 through Friday, August 23, and included a "collection of activities and events to help students connect with their new campus community," according to an Instagram post. The week's exciting events concluded with #UNLVCreates, an academic welcome ceremony for all new students.