Las Vegas shooting: What we know
Tuesday October 03 2017
LAS VEGAS
At least 58 people were killed and more than 500 injured when a gunman opened fire on concertgoers Thursday night in Las Vegas.
Here's what we know:
What happened
A crowd of more than 22,000 people was listening to country music star Jason Aldean at the Route 91 Harvest Festival when there was a burst of automatic gunfire around 10:08 pm (0508 GMT).
Police said a lone gunman opened fire on concertgoers from his 32nd floor room at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino across the street on the famed Las Vegas Strip.
Robert Hayes, a firefighter from Los Angeles who was attending the concert, told Fox News it resembled a "war scene."
"It was kind of like shooting goldfish," Hayes said.
The toll
Police said at least 58 people were killed and approximately 406 were transported to hospital. The authorities launched an appeal for blood donors.
The gunman
Police identified the gunman as Stephen Craig Paddock, a 64-year-old white man from Mesquite, Nevada, around 130 kilometers northeast of Las Vegas. Paddock was the lone suspect in the shooting, according to the authorities. He was found dead in his hotel room when a police SWAT team breached the room. Police said they believe Paddock killed himself. Police said they recovered at least eight rifles from his room. Little else was immediately known about Paddock, who did not appear to have a criminal record.
Reaction
President Donald Trump sent his "warmest condolences and sympathies" to the victims and families affected by the shooting. The White House said Trump was to make televised remarks to the nation at 10:30 am (1430 GMT).
Pope Francis said he was "deeply saddened" by the "senseless tragedy."
Deadliest US mass shooting ever
Although the final toll has yet to be confirmed, the Las Vegas Strip shooting is already the deadliest ever in the United States.
The previous deadliest shooting was in June 2016 when 49 people were killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
A student killed 32 people in 2007 at Virginia Tech university before shooting himself.