Jim Clinton oral history interview, 2024 October 08

Oral history interview with Jim Clinton conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on October 8, 2024 for the UNLV Remembers: an Oral History of the 6 December 2023 Shootings project. In this interview, Clinton, UNLV's Associate Vice President of Finance and Operations in the Department of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, recalls the events of December 6. He recalls being in the Foundation Building but cannot recall how the staff became aware of the shooting, because their cell phones did not work; they could neither next nor receive texts. Once he was made aware, he went to the front, secured the building, and began to account everyone. He gathered the staff into two conference rooms to make sure the team was protected and that any students had snacks and water. Eventually, police evacuated the building and sent everyone to the Thomas & Mack Center. There, Clinton saw only disorganization; no one seemed to know where to tell them to go. They decided to walk back across campus to get their cars to go home; they saw police everywhere, including some police interrogating a man who looked "out of place," but they allowed the group to continue. Those who were parked in the Cottage Grove parking structure could not access their cars, so those who had parked in Lot Y took their colleagues home. His cell phone connectivity problems meant that Clinton had not spoken to his wife until he returned home that evening. The next day, his wife helped him and his colleagues retrieve their cars and their belongings. He credits Sherandra Owen, Associate Director of IT and Facilities, for making sure the team were able to access the building and their belongings without having to go through the police. His experience with Bridge Counseling led him to reach out to his colleagues to suggest their services. In the interview, he reflects on how the events of December 6 bonded his team closer together. Digital audio and transcript available.