The Las Vegas shooting surpasses the Pulse shooting in Orlando
The deadliest mass shooting in recent United States history took place last night on “The Strip,” in Las Vegas. At this point over 50 people were killed and another 200 were injured when a 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, a local man took aim at a crowd watching a country music festival from his perch 32 stories above the crowd from his room at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
The Las Vegas killed Paddock in his 32nd story hotel room. According to Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo. “We believe it’s a sole actor, a lone-wolf-type actor,” Lombardo told reporters at a 1:30 a.m. news conference Monday. He was later identified as Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nevada.
Paddock began his assault shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday during a Jason Aldean performance at the three-day Route 91 Harvest festival, held in a lot across Las Vegas Boulevard from his hotel room. Thousands of fans dove to the ground and took cover, trying to protect themselves as bullets flew through the air from the higher vantage point.
People headed all over the area including onto the runways at the Las Vegas Airport. According to the Los Angeles Times: “Officials at McCarran International Airport reported that some flights have been diverted in the wake of the shootings… Hospital personnel across Las Vegas have been paged to work… Parts of I-15 near the Strip were also shut down, and hotel guests across the strip were being ordered to shelter in place.”
Police said Paddock had a criminal past and was known to local law enforcement, NBC News reported. He has no known connection to terrorism and police have not called the shooting a terrorist attack, according to the network.
Again according to NBC News, a woman who was seen sitting in the suspect’s car before the incident has been located but not yet in custody Lombardo said.
The person of interest Marilou Danley, whom he described as an Asian female who is 4 foot and 11 inches tall.
NBC News said that police described Danley as his companion who had been living with him. Police are also searching Paddock’s house.
Two off-duty police officers were among the killed, officials said early Monday.