Matthew Montalto oral history interview, 2024 September 05

Oral history interview with Matthew Montalto conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on September 5, 2024 for the UNLV Remembers: an Oral History of the 6 December 2023 Shootings project. In this interview, Montalto begins by describing his childhood in Las Vegas, after his family moved here from Anchorage, Alaska when he was five. Montalto graduated in 2000, and completed nearly one year at UNLV before a medical condition forced him to withdraw. For the next 14 years, Montalto worked various office jobs before realizing he wanted a college degree. In 2019, UNLV awarded him his B.A. degree in English and Creative Writing, and he soon found work in the Department of Anthropology. On December 6, 2023, he and his husband, Jose, parked on Maryland Parkway in front of Flora Dungan Hall (FDH); before saying goodbye, they made plans to meet for lunch in the Student Union. Montalto talks about his pride that UNLV didn't hire the shooter, and that through this, he and UNLV have "become better versions" of themselves. He describes therapy, support systems, and the power of gaming narrative story groups. He mentions the school shooting in Winder, Georgia in the context of the Columbine High School and Sandy Hook shootings. He learned he is more stable in a crisis than he knew, and he performs well under pressure. Digital audio and transcript available.