Las Vegas Tragedy
Last Sunday night, a lone gunman opened fire during a country music concert on the Las Vegas strip, causing the most deadly mass shooting in modern American history. At least 59 people were killed and more than 527 injured (as of Monday evening).
Aerial view of Las Vegas cityscape. Credit: Spaces Images/Blend Images
Festival Turns Deadly
About 22,000 people had gathered on the strip for the Route 91 Harvest festival, a country music concert. At just after 10:00 pm local time, during a performance by Jason Aldean, a gunman used a hammer to smash the window of his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel and opened fire on the crowd. The shooting lasted for roughly ten to fifteen minutes, while disoriented fans ducked or tried to escape. Among the many victims were a registered nurse, an off-duty police officer, a special education teacher and so many others. Authorities fear that the number of casualties will continue to rise, as area hospitals are taxed to capacity with the wounded.
Who Is Responsible?
The gunman, Stephen Paddock, was a 64-year-old white male from Mesquite, Nevada. He was a retired accountant and divorced, with a girlfriend and no children. Before this weekend, he had a clean criminal record and no links to any terror or hate groups. When police broke into his room at the Mandalay Bay hotel, they found at least 23 weapons. By that point, Paddock had already killed himself.
Police searched Paddock’s home and car on Monday morning and found weapons and ammunition, as well as material used to make explosives. Though ISIS originally said it was responsible for the shooting, authorities are suspicious of this claim. The FBI has found no connection between Paddock and any international terrorist groups. They aren’t calling the shooting an act of terrorism until they learn more about Paddock’s motives.
Public Response
As of Monday evening, hundreds of victims remain hospitalized. Authorities begged the Las Vegas community to donate blood, and since then donors have been lining up outside of area blood banks to contribute.
On Monday afternoon, President Trump led a moment of silence for the victims. He also announced plans to visit Las Vegas on Wednesday to meet with families affected by the tragedy. On Monday night, the lights of the Las Vegas strip were dark to honor the victims.
In the meantime, the Department of Homeland Security has said that there is no additional threat of violence. However, it’s possible that security at concerts and other public venues could increase over the next few days and weeks.