In the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, a respected Japanese associate professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Dr. Naoko Takemaru, aged 69, was a woman dedicated to her students and her field of Japanese studies. Her life, however, was tragically cut short on December 6, 2023, when she became a victim in a shooting on the university's campus. The incident left the academic community in shock and mourning.
The gunman, identified as 67-year-old Anthony Polito, a career college
professor who had unsuccessfully sought a position at UNLV, opened fire in what was a devastating attack on the university faculty. Dr. Takemaru, along with two other professors, Cha Jan "Jerry" Chang, 64, and Patricia Navarro Velez, 39, were killed in the rampage. Polito was later killed in a shootout with police, bringing a violent end to the tragic event. The Clark County Coroner's office later confirmed that Dr. Takemaru died from multiple gunshot wounds.
In the wake of her death, the community came together to remember a beloved educator. Vigils were held in her honor, where students and colleagues shared stories of her passion for teaching and her warm personality. She was remembered as a dedicated scholar who had authored a book on gender bias in Japanese society and was a recipient of the William Morris Award for Excellence in Teaching. She had been a member of the UNLV faculty for 20 years, where she coordinated the Japanese language programs and taught a variety of courses on Japanese culture and language.
Further compounding the tragedy, in the aftermath of her death, a woman named Bianca Hernandez, 30, was arrested for allegedly burglarizing Dr. Takemaru's home. Police were alerted to a break-in at the late professor's residence and discovered that items had been stolen. Hernandez was later apprehended and faced several charges, including residential burglary and possession of stolen property.
