At Least 50 Killed In Las Vegas Concert Mass Shooting
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A gunman perched high on the 32nd floor of a Las Vegas Strip casino unleashed a shower of bullets down on an outdoor country music festival below, killing at least 50 people and wounding more than 200 as tens of thousands of frantic concert-goers screamed and ran for their lives, officials said Monday. It was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
Country music star Jason Aldean was performing Sunday night at the end of the three-day Route 91 Harvest Festival when the gunman opened fire across the street from inside the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. SWAT teams quickly descended on the concert and the casino, and officers used explosives to get into the hotel room where the suspect was inside, authorities said. The gunman died at the scene and was identified by Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo as Stephen Paddock. A motive as not immediately known.
Aldean was in the middle of a song when the shots came rapidly: Pop-pop-pop-pop. Video of the shooting then showed Aldean stopping and the crowd getting quiet as if they were unsure of what had just happened. The gunman paused and then fired another volley of muzzle flashes from the gold glass casino as more victims fell to the ground while others fled in panic. Some said they hid behind concession stands and other crawled under parked cars.
Kodiak Yazzie, 36, said the music stopped temporarily when the first shots began and the tune even started up again before the second round of pops sent the performers ducking for cover and fleeing the stage.
"It was the craziest stuff I've ever seen in my entire life," Yazzie said. "You could hear that the noise was coming from west of us, from Mandalay Bay. You could see a flash- flash- flash- flash."
Thousands in the crowd fled as the bullets ran rampant. Monique Dumas from British Columbia, Canada, said she was at the concert, six rows from the front of the stage when she thought she heard a bottle breaking, and then a burst of popping sounds that may have been fireworks. She said as she made her way out, it was "organized chaos" as everyone fled. "It took four to five minutes and all that time there was gunfire."
In addition to Paddock, police said they located a woman who may have been his roommate — Marilou Danley, 62. Lombardo said they believe this was a "lone wolf" attack.
"It's a devastating time," Lombardo said.
Police shut down the usually busy Las Vegas Boulevard and authorities across the state and federal ranks converged onto the scene as dozens of ambulances ferried those struck by gunfire. Nearby Interstate 15 and flights at McCarran International Airport were also halted. Hospital emergency rooms were jammed with victims delivered by ambulance. Others loaded the wounded into their cars and drove them to hospitals.
Jose Baggett, 31, of Las Vegas, said he and a friend were in the lobby of the Luxor hotel-casino — directly north of the festival — when people began to run, almost like in a stampede. He said people were crying and as he and his friend started walking away minutes later, they encountered police checkpoints where officers were carrying shotguns and assault rifles.
"There were armored personnel vehicles, SWAT vehicles, ambulances, and at least a half-mile of police cars," Baggett said.
Among those killed were two off-duty police officers who were attending the concert and two other on-duty officers were wounded, including one in critical condition, police said.
Hours after the shooting, Aldean posted on Instagram that he and his crew were safe and said the shooting was "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," Aldean said.
The shooting at the sold-out Route 91 Harvest festival was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Forty-nine people were killed when a gunman opened fire at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in June 2016.
Sunday's shooting came more than four months after a suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, that killed 22 people. Almost 90 people were killed by gunmen inspired by Islamic State at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris during a performance by Eagles of Death Metal in November 2015.
UPDATES
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on the shooting in Las Vegas (all times local):
5:20 a.m.
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department says two of its off-duty members were shot during the attack at a Las Vegas concert.
Authorities say both were taken to the hospital, where one remains in critical condition and the other was in stable condition.
Officials did not immediately release their names.
Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo says at least 50 people were killed and more than 200 people were wounded when a gunman opened fire at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on the Strip.
Authorities have identified the suspected gunman as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock. Paddock died after police confronted him Sunday on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay casino-hotel tower on the Las Vegas Strip.
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5:15 a.m.
Las Vegas police say they've determined that a woman they were seeking is no longer considered a "person of interest" in the deadly mass shooting at a country music festival.
Police say they don't believe 62-year-old Marilou Danley was involved in the Sunday night shooting that killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 200.
Police initially said they were seeking the woman who may have been the roommate of the shooter.
The gunman has been identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock.
Paddock died after police confronted him Sunday on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay casino-hotel tower on the Las Vegas Strip.
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4:40 a.m.
Authorities say the on-duty police officer who was wounded at the deadly Las Vegas concert attack is out of surgery and in stable condition.
The unnamed officer was one of two on-duty Las Vegas police officers wounded Sunday night. The other sustained minor injuries.
Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo says at least 50 people — including two off-duty officers — were killed and more than 200 people were wounded at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on the Strip.
Authorities have identified the suspected gunman as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock.
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4:30 a.m.
President Donald Trump is extending condolences to the victims of the shooting in Las Vegas and their families.
In a tweet Monday, Trump offered "My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!"
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump was "briefed on the horrific tragedy in Las Vegas."
Sanders said that "we are monitoring the situation closely."
A gunman's attack on the Sunday night country music concert killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 200.
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3:30 a.m.
A Nevada sheriff says the death toll has climbed to 50 in the attack on a Las Vegas concert Sunday, making it the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo says more than 200 people were wounded at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on the Strip.
Authorities have identified the suspected gunman as Nevada resident Stephen Paddock.
Lombardo says officers confronted Paddock on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino across the street from the concert. Paddock is dead.
Authorities say they have located 62-year-old Marilou Danley, who was wanted as a person of interest in this incident.
The dead gunman is also believed to have checked in as a hotel guest.
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2 a.m.
A Nevada sheriff says one on-duty officer is in critical condition and another was wounded in the Las Vegas concert shooting that left more than 20 people dead.
Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo says two off-duty officers have died.
Several officers from California were attending the outdoor Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on Sunday when a gunman opened fire. A Bakersfield Police officer was shot and taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Authorities have not released any of their identities.
More than 100 people were injured.
Lombardo says the suspect is dead.
The sheriff says they believe this was a "lone wolf" attack but said they are looking for a roommate of the dead suspect as a person of interest.
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1:55 a.m.
Country music star Jason Aldean took to social media to say he and his crew are safe after a gunman killed more than 20 people at an outdoor concert Sunday.
Aldean was in the middle of his performance when the bullets rained down on the crowd. He posted on Instagram hours later, calling the shooting "beyond horrific."
Las Vegas authorities say more than 100 people are wounded in the attack.
Clark County's sheriff says officers confronted the suspect on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino across the street from the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival. Authorities say the man is dead. They did not release the suspect's name but said he is a local resident.
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1:40 a.m.
Las Vegas authorities say more than 20 people are dead and 100 people are wounded after a man opened fire on an outdoor concert late Sunday.
Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo says officers confronted the suspect on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino across the street from the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival. Authorities say the man is dead. They did not release the suspect's name but said he is a local resident.
Several officers from the Bakersfield Police Department were attending the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on Sunday when a gunman opened fire. One was shot and taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Authorities did not release his name.
Lombardo said they believe this was a "lone wolf" attack but said they are looking for a roommate of the dead suspect as a person of interest
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1:13 a.m.
A Southern California police department says one of its off-duty officers was shot during the attack on a Las Vegas concert.
Several officers from the Bakersfield Police Department were attending the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on Sunday when a gunman opened fire. One was shot and taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Authorities did not release his name.
Two people are dead and dozens wounded after someone opened fire on an outdoor country music festival across the street from the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.
Las Vegas police say one suspect is 'down' but did not give any other details.
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1 a.m.
Some flights have resumed at the Las Vegas airport after all planes were temporarily grounded due to the deadly shooting on the Strip.
McCarran International Airport says limited flight activity has resumed early Monday.
Two people are dead and dozens wounded after someone opened fire late Sunday on an outdoor country music festival.
Las Vegas police say one suspect is 'down' but did not give any other details.
University Medical Center spokeswoman Danita Cohen said 26 people were admitted to the hospital after the incident.
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12:50 a.m.
Las Vegas police say one suspect is 'down' after a deadly shooting Sunday at an outdoor concert and authorities don't believe there are any more shooters.
Two people are dead and dozens more wounded after a gunman opened fire during Jason Aldean's performance at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival.
Authorities shut down part of the Las Vegas Strip and Interstate 15.
McCarran International Airport officials say all flights in and out have been temporarily halted.
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12:30 a.m.
All planes have been grounded at the Las Vegas airport after the deadly shooting at an outdoor concert on the Strip.
McCarran International Airport says all flights in and out have been temporarily halted in response to the shooting.
Two people are dead and dozens wounded after someone opened fire late Sunday on a music festival.
Las Vegas police say one suspect is 'down' but did not give any other details.
University Medical Center spokeswoman Danita Cohen said 26 people were admitted to the hospital after the incident.
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12:15 a.m.
A concert-goer says he heard what sounded like fireworks while he was watching Jason Aldean's performance at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival Sunday night.
Thirty-six-year-old Kodiak Yazzie said the music stopped temporarily and started up again before another round of pops sent the performers ducking for cover and fleeing the stage.
As the 40,000 fans in the crowd began to flee, Yazzie took cover and said he saw flashes of light coming from the Mandalay Bay hotel tower high above.
The bursts of pops would start and stop for more than five minutes. He says he saw dozens of ambulances as he ran for safety. He later got a Lyft driver to take him home to suburban Henderson.
Las Vegas police say one suspect is 'down.'
A hospital spokeswoman says two people are dead and dozens wounded.
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12:05 a.m.
Las Vegas police say one suspect is 'down' after shooting at country music festival that has left two people dead and dozens wounded.
University Medical Center spokeswoman Danita Cohen said 26 people were admitted to the hospital.
Dozens of patrol vehicles descended on the Strip after authorities received reports of an active shooter near the Route 91 Harvest Festival. Some officers took cover behind their vehicles while others carrying assault rifles ran into the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.
Authorities shut down part of the Las Vegas Strip and Interstate 15.
Some flights destined for the McCarran International Airport were diverted due to incident.
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11:55 p.m.
A Las Vegas hospital says at least two people are dead and dozens wounded after a shooting late Sunday at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip.
University Medical Center spokeswoman Danita Cohen said 26 people were admitted to the hospital. She says, of those, at least two have died, 12 are in critical condition and the rest are being evaluated.
Dozens of patrol vehicles descended on the Strip after authorities received reports of an active shooter near the Route 91 Harvest Festival.
Authorities shut down part of the Las Vegas Strip and Interstate 15.
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11:45 p.m.
Concert-goers reported seeing muzzle flashes from the upper floors of the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino across Las Vegas Boulevard from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival and the sound of what they described as automatic gun fire.
Witnesses say they saw multiple victims Sunday night as they fled the gunfire raining down on the concert venue.
Some later huddled in the basement of the nearby Tropicana hotel-casino.
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11 p.m.
Multiple victims were being transported to hospitals after a shooting late Sunday at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip.
Dozens of patrol vehicles descended on the Strip after authorities received reports of an active shooter near the Route 91 Harvest Festival.
Some officers took cover behind their vehicles while others carrying assault rifles ran into the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.
University Medical Center spokeswoman Danita Cohen said the Las Vegas hospital is taking in "several" people with gunshot wounds. She didn't have any other immediate information.
Authorities shut down part of the Las Vegas Strip and Interstate 15.
Some flights destined for the McCarran International Airport were diverted due to incident.
Witnesses say country singer Jason Aldean was playing near the end of the concert when gunfire rang out.
No further information was immediately known.
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