Chaos in Las Vegas
Photo credit | Daily Mail
Over 50 people in Las Vegas are dead and more than 400 injured. In what is now the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. The shooter has been identified by law enforcement officials as 64-year old Stephen Paddock from Mesquite, NV. Paddock committed suicide before police entered his hotel room. Tragically, the death toll is expected to rise.
The shooting began at approximately 10 p.m. on the final day of the Route 91 Harvest Country Music festival. Opening fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, Paddock fired hundreds of rounds into a crowd of 30,000. An arsenal of weapons was found by police in the room.
Very few details are available on Paddock’s history. We know he lived in a retirement community. A public search of Las Vegas criminal records shows no criminal convictions. Paddock previously lived in California, Texas, and Florida so exhausted records searches will take some time.
Photo credit | Fox News
Police questioned Paddock’s 63-year old companion, Marilou Danley, who lived with Paddock since January 2017. However, authorities are saying they do not believe she was involved. Danley is currently out of the country.
Country music artist, Jason Aldean, was performing on stage when the gunfire started.
Graphic video from the scene shows concert-goers screaming and fleeing the scene. Thousands took cover from the shooting at nearby venues. Singer Jake Owens left the stage just prior to the shooting.
Photo credit | David Becker/Getty Images
Consequently, among the many injured are several on, and off, duty police officers along with the wives of two Orange County sheriff’s deputies.
Authorities are currently executing a search warrant of Paddock’s residence. Officials are not yet releasing a possible motive for the attack. However, they are confirming that the shooter has no known ties to any militant groups. We will keep you up-to-date on details as they become available.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.
