Las Vegas shooting: over 59 people dead and 527 injured

At least 59 people have been killed, and more than 527 injured in what’s being referred to as the deadliest mass shooting in US modern history, yesterday

(Image: Sky News)
(Image: Sky News)

A gunman fired on the Route 91 Harvest country music festival from the overlooking hotel, the Mandalay Bay hotel and Casino.

Police have named the suspect as Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old local, from Mesquite, Nevada. Police reports claimed that the suspect shot himself on the 32nd floor of the hotel and casino, before law enforcement officials were able to enter the room.

Following thorough searches, at least 17 guns were found in Paddock’s hotel room, according to official statements. An additional 18 firearms, explosives and several thousands of rounds of ammunition were found at the suspect’s home, officials said, after authorities executed a search warrant early on Monday morning. Police are currently preparing to raid another property of Paddock in Reno, Nevada.

Stephen Paddock has been identified as the gunman (Image: The Daily Mirror)
Stephen Paddock has been identified as the gunman (Image: The Daily Mirror)

According to the FBI, Paddock had no known links to any international terror groups and was believed to have acted alone, a “lone wolf”.

Marilou Danley, a 62-year-old Australian woman, identified as Paddock’s room-mate, was initially named as a person of interest but police have since said she was out of the country at the time of the attack and thus cleared her of any involvement.

Paddock’s brother said Stephen had no background with weaponry, saying: “No religious affiliation, no political affiliation, he just hung out”, he told TV networks. “he’s just a guy who lived in a house in Mesquite, drove down and gambled in Las Vegas”, he said.

 

Around 22,000 people were attending the country-music open-air concert, with Jason Aldean, who was performing when the shooting took place, describing the scene as “beyond horrific”.

“It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night”, he said.

Some flights have resumed at the city’s McCarran airport after all flights were temporarily grounded on Sunday evening.

The aftermath showed hundreds of people fleeing in panic as concert goers saw muzzle flashes from the upper floors of the Mandalay Bay hotel and fled in panic.

US President Donald Trump addressed the shootings from the White House on Monday morning.