A gunman killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 200 at a country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday, raining down rapid fire from the 32nd floor of a hotel for several minutes before he was shot dead by police.
The death toll, which police emphasized was preliminary and tentative, would make the attack the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, eclipsing last year’s massacre of 49 people at an Orlando night club.
Thousands of panicked people fled the scene, in some cases trampling one another as law enforcement officers scrambled to locate and kill the gunman. Shocked concertgoers, some with blood on their clothes, wandered the streets after the attack.
Police identified the gunman as area resident Stephen Paddock, 64, but said they had no information yet about his motive.
He was not believed to be connected to any militant group, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters.
“We have no idea what his belief system was,” Lombardo said. “Right now, we believe he was the sole aggressor and the scene is static.”
“We’ve located numerous firearms within the room that he occupied,” Lombardo said.
Authorities believed they had located Paddock’s roommate, who they identified as Marilou Danley. He gave no details of whether she was suspected of involvement in the attack but described her as an “associate.”
Police had located two cars that belonged to the suspect.
The dead included one off-duty police officer, while at least one other officer was critically injured, Lombardo said. Police warned the death toll may rise.
Video taken of the attack showed panicked crowds fleeing as sustained rapid gunfire ripped through the area.
Las Vegas’s casinos, nightclubs and shopping draw some 3.5 million visitors from around the world each year and the area was packed with visitors when the shooting broke out shortly after 10 p.m. (0400 GMT).
Mike McGarry, a 53-year-old financial adviser from Philadelphia, said he was at the concert when he heard hundreds of shots ring out.
“It was crazy – I laid on top of the kids. They’re 20. I’m 53. I lived a good life,” McGarry said. The back of his shirt bore footmarks, after people ran over him in the panicked crowd.
Many casinos in the area locked their doors during the incident to keep out any potential attackers, some using handcuffs to do so, according to witnesses.
“Caesar’s Palace had locked their doors. They wouldn’t let you in,” said Adam Mitchell, a 31-year-old tourist visiting from Britain.
The shooting broke out on the last night of the three-day Route 91 Harvest festival, a sold-out event attended by thousands and featuring top acts such as Eric Church, Sam Hunt and Jason Aldean.
“Tonight has been beyond horrific,” Aldean said in a statement on Instagram. “It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night.”
The rampage was reminiscent of a mass shooting at a Paris rock concert in November 2015 that killed 89 people, part of a coordinated attack by Islamist militants that left 130 dead.
The concert venue was in an outdoor area known as Las Vegas Village, across the Strip from the Mandalay Bay and the Luxor hotels.
“Our thoughts & prayers are with the victims of last night’s tragic events,” the Mandalay Bay said on Twitter.
Father God please comfort their family members and Loveones, this is so SAD. The killing of innocent people is a senseless and WICKED act. People we have to Pray daily, this saddens me to the Core, RIP Beautiful people
And the great usa love publish list of dangerous countries and warn them citizens not to visit those places. Dem lib pon jamaica name bout crime n violence n look dey, america uno biggest n greatest enemies is uno same people dat born there n live there generations after generations. Das y uno nuffi throw shades at other people country because the stupidest set and craziest set of people on the earth are from usa.
Very tragic. I was weak after seeing this morning. I just wanted to crawl back into bed and wake up again. Im so sick of all these senseless killing. I know in my heart its only going to get worse. Enough is not being done to get these guns off the street. With a leader who does not preach peace it’s going to be hard to control the anger and rage thats felt within some of us. I pray for everyone who’s been directly affected my this senseless crime. I also pray for those indirectly affected including myself. We have stay prayed up in this world.
We strongly condemned senseless killings n wonder when it will cease. Hopefully the speculation as to the murderous lunatic’s motive doesn’t stir up unnecessary tensions. R.i.p to the victims and may We pray God grant their loved ones n the survivors the strength to pick up the pieces.
Guns is all over the place in usa, is not like u cant buy it, some states u walk in a store n buy its legal. So how does one get those gun off the streets again just a laugh? How enlighten us. This is not jamaica, this is usa ok and some states it is legal to buy ur gun n keep in ur home n nuff people have conceal weapon permit too.
owning a gun is one thing, of course its a right under the 2nd amendment of the US constitution for portection of one’s self, family & property, but 30 plus guns aquired legally? 27 of which was in one person’s possession in an act of terror and mayhem? there needs to be a change in law as to the amount of guns one can aquire(1 personal fire arm and or 1 rifle type for sport), and the type of weapon one can legally aquire, assault rifles of every and any grade needs to be banned, the 2nd amendment was given to the citizens of the new republic for 3 reasons, 1.to twart off any foreign or domestic(native american)invasion of the new republic, 2.to keep the newly established goverment in check if the government was becoming tyrannical, 1777 & 2017 are 2 different times and ages, LAWS NEEDS REVISION.
Anytime dem tings yah happen mi feel like it go deeper dan just a man a buy up gun an duh dis sum oda influence dehdeh.
Ramjam amercian have sick people dat will use other things dan gun anyways, just lets all admitt it. Usa is a sick country n nuff american that born there from generations are some of the biggest enemy to dem own self n dat nah change.