As Natalie Matarazzo prepares for graduation, she reflects on the strength she’s gained through her experiences, including the tragedy UNLV experienced last year.

One year after a shooter unleashed horror on their campus, members of the UNLV community said they stand stronger than ever.

The UNLV and Las Vegas communities gathered Friday to mark one year since the tragic deaths of three faculty members in a campus shooting. The campus was invited to a gathering at 11 a.m. to remember the lives of Drs. Patricia Navarro Velez, Cha-Jan "Jerry" Chang and Naoko Takemaru.

Audience members embraced each other and wiped away tears as music from a piano and cello echoed around campus near the Student Union at UNLV.

Six murals created by UNLV student artists outside Beam Hall pay tribute to the three professors who lost their lives during the December 6 tragedy, and convey a message of hope and healing.

What started as just another day on the job for University Services Police Detective Nate Drum and Officer Damian Garcia ended as a day that forever changed their lives.

The only person to survive the Dec. 6, 2023, shooting rampage at UNLV said the school must continue with courage. UNLV honored and remembered on Friday the three professors killed a year ago. “A year ago, my life was nearly taken by an act of evil. Through this tragic incident, I found a way to survive,” Daraboth Rith said. “We are far stronger than we ever realize.”

A year after the tragedy of December 6, 2023, at UNLV, the events of that day have continued to spark conversations far beyond the local scope. The shooting that left three professors dead and another severely injured has ignited calls for tighter gun control laws, more mental health resources, and new safety measures in schools nationwide.

As commencement approaches, graduating seniors from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) College of Engineering showcased their semester-long projects at the Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition. According the university, the event marks the culmination of their academic journey, and challenged students to apply their theoretical knowledge to create commercially viable prototypes.