At least 58 people have died and 515 others have been transported to nearby hospitals following a shooting at a concert in Las Vegas late Sunday night, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officials.
According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police (LVMPD) officials, “two on-duty LVMPD officers were injured during the shooting”; one was in stable condition and the other “sustained minor injuries.” A third off-duty officer was listed as one of the deceased.
BREAKING: Clark County officials estimate 406 people were transported to hospitals and 50 are dead following Las Vegas shooting.
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 2, 2017
The shooting
This is the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history ahead of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016, in which 49 people were killed.
The Las Vegas Police Sheriff said late Monday morning that 58 people have been confirmed dead and 515 people have been confirmed injured in connection with the attack.
According to police, at approximately 10:08 p.m. Pacific Time, a lone gunman fired on a crowd of more than 22,000 people attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival concert from his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. The festival grounds were located across the street from the hotel and the Luxor resort, on a stretch of the Strip between Giles Street, Mandalay Bay Road, and Las Vegas Boulevard.
The shooter appears to have used an automatic weapon, based on recordings of the attack.
One woman, speaking with CNN reporters, said that the shots “just kept coming” and described how people hid under her car.
“Everyone was hiding everywhere,” she said. “They were hiding under the bleachers, and the stanchions, and everywhere they could. And everyone was telling us to run, ‘run as fast as you can.'”
One concertgoer initially claimed on TV that a woman, who was eventually removed by security, told them the crowd they were all going to die about 45 minutes before the shooting.
"The shots just kept coming." Witness describes how people hid under her car following Las Vegas shooting https://t.co/3XVQyXXw2c pic.twitter.com/5z82ACAwzG
— CNN (@CNN) October 2, 2017
President Trump addressed the shooting in a tweet on Monday morning, writing, “My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!”
My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2017
Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also issued an official White House statement on Monday morning, saying, “The President has been briefed on the horrific tragedy in Las Vegas. We are monitoring the situation closely and offer our full support to state and local officials. All of those affected are in our thoughts and prayers.” In a press briefing on Monday afternoon, Sanders chided journalists asking whether the incident would lead to broader gun control discussions, adding, “There will be certainly time for that policy discussion to take place, but that’s not the place that we’re in at this moment.”
Homeland Security officials stated that Acting Secretary Elaine Duke had been briefed on the situation as well. “At this time, we have no information to indicate a specific credible threat involving other public venues in the country,” spokespersons noted. “However, increased security in and around public places and events may be experienced as officials take additional precautions. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this incident as we work to support the Las Vegas community.”
The alleged shooter
The police believe the shooter was a local individual. Authorities said they are not considering the attack an act of terror “at this point.”
Contrary to early reports, local law enforcement “had no knowledge of this individual” prior to the shooting.
LATEST: Vegas police: Not considering shooting act of terrorism "at this point"; no indication of motive yet. https://t.co/axKVjK8SZF pic.twitter.com/nm4f7Nov51
— ABC News (@ABC) October 2, 2017
A local man, Stephen Paddock, 64, is the suspect. LVMPD SWAT teams found him deceased in hotel room on Monday morning, where he had been since September 28; police later confirmed that Paddock had killed himself prior to SWAT entering the room.
Police stated that they had “found numerous firearms in the room he occupied.” Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo specified in a press conference that Paddock had “in excess of 10 rifles.” Law enforcement officials later said that number was closer to 20 and included AR-15-style and AK-47-style rifles, plus a “large cache” of ammunition, the Wall Street Journal reported. Authorities were unsure how the weapons had come into Paddock’s possession.
The police do not have any indication of a motive yet.
The gunman, 64 year old Stephen Paddock, is dead. His wife, named as a person of interest, is in custody. #LasVegas pic.twitter.com/GsKFnret6g
— Nicole Jacobs (@NicoleJacobsWBZ) October 2, 2017
Police also stated that they had found Paddock’s female companion, Marilou Danley. Paddock and Danley are listed as living together in a home in Mesquite, Nevada, about 90 miles from the murder scene. Officials stated that Danley was abroad in the Philippines and was not with Paddock at the time of the shooting. (Paddock had reportedly used a slot machine card in Danley’s name, Clark County Commission Chair Steve Sisolak said, which prompted the initial search into her whereabouts.)
In a statement later on Monday morning, police said Danley was no longer being considered a “person of interest” in the case. They do not believe that the 62-year-old was involved in the shooting in any way.
Paddock is the man listed along with Marilou Danley at a home in Mesquite, Nevada, about 90 miles from the murder scene. https://t.co/SXzywcKrpG
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 2, 2017
Concertgoer said on TV that a woman told them they were all going to die, about 45 minutes before the shooting, and got booted by security.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 2, 2017
As of 1:00 p.m., ABC is reporting that law enforcement found a both rifles and handguns in the hotel. One official told ABC there were 19 weapons at the scene.
#breaking from @PierreTABC: Sources say suspect had combination of rifles and handguns in hotel. One official: 19 weapons at the scene.
— David Muir (@DavidMuir) October 2, 2017
How to help
Police have advised anyone trying to find missing loved ones to call 1-866-535-5654. LVMPD also established a “family reunification center” for loved ones of the victims at its headquarters at 400 S. Martin L. King Blvd. in Building B of the Clark County Sheriff’s office.
“The identification process of all of the injured and the deceased will take time, so authorities are asking the public for patience,” police stated.
FBI Las Vegas officials have also asked that anyone with videos or photos from the shooting call 1-800-CALLFBI (255-5324).
According to an official police statement, those looking to donate blood to the victims may do so at one of several locations. United Blood Services began taking donations at 7 a.m. Pacific Time at both its 6930 W. Charleston location in Las Vegas or its 601 Whitney Ranch Drive location in Henderson. University Medical Center (UMC) will also host a blood drive in conjunction with United Blood Services. The drive will take place at UMC’s Delta Point Building located at 901 N. Rancho Lane in Las Vegas. Due to high response, officials at the Nevada Department of Public Safety have encouraged potential donors to register ahead of time.
A previous blood donation drive tweeted by the LVMPD at the Labor Health & Welfare Clinic at 7135 W. Sahara was reportedly cancelled, according to staffers at the Red Rock Surgery Center, a neighboring medical facility. The Labor Health & Welfare Clinic did not immediately return a request for clarification.
This article has been updated to adjust the death toll and to reflect reports that the Labor Health & Welfare Clinic blood donation drive may have been cancelled.