A gunman, named as 64-year-old Nevada resident
Stephen Paddock, opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel
towards an open-air music festival attended by 22,000.
He killed himself as police stormed the room
where 10 guns were found.
Investigators have found no link to international
terrorism, despite a claim from so-called Islamic State.
In an address from the White House, President
Donald Trump described the attack as "pure evil".
He praised the efforts of the emergency services,
saying their "miraculous" speed saved lives, and announced he would
be visiting Las Vegas on Wednesday.
The final shows of the three-day Route 91 country
music festival were in full swing when the gunman struck.
Thousands were enjoying a performance by
top-billing singer Jason Aldean when the first of several bursts of automatic
gunfire rang out - hundreds of shots, witnesses say. That was late on Monday
night - 22:08 local time (05:08 GMT on Monday).
Hundreds of concert-goers scrambled for cover,
flattening themselves against the ground, rushing for the exits or helping
others to escape as Paddock sprayed the site from his high vantage point.
"One man had blood all over him and that's
when I knew something was seriously wrong," Mike Thompson from London,
told the BBC.
"People were running and there was
chaos."
Concert-goer Mike McGarry, who survived, told
Reuters he lay on top of his children when the shots rang out.
"They're 20, I'm 53. I lived a good
life," he said.
Many hotels on the Las Vegas strip close to the
scene were placed on police lockdown and parts of Las Vegas Boulevard were
shut.
Aldean, who was rushed off-stage, shared his
reaction on Instagramm.
"Tonight has been beyond horrific," he
wrote.
Las Vegas police say the number of people injured
stands at 515.
 |
| Stephen Paddock (facebook) |
Stephen Paddock, from a community of senior
citizens in the small town of Mesquite north-east of Las Vegas, booked into the
hotel on 28 September, police say.
His motives for carrying out the deadliest mass
shooting in recent US history remain a mystery. Some investigators have
suggested psychological issues, but there is no confirmation of this.
His brother, Eric, is dumbfounded that he acted
this way.
Source: BBC News
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