Las Vegas mass shooting: At least 58 dead and 500 wounded
City's Jewish mayor calls to 'Pray for Las Vegas' after lone gunman opens fire at a country music festival
At least 58 people are dead and more than 500 wounded in Las Vegas in what is being called one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.
The attack took place at a country music festival outside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip late on Sunday night.
The gunman has been identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, who was killed following the attack in a standoff with police.
Paddock reportedly shot at a concert by singer Jason Aldean from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay at around 10 p.m.
Police said multiple firearms were found in the hotel room. Aldean was the final performer of the night and of the festival.
(AP Photo/John Locher)
About 40,000 people were in the venue at the time of the shooting, though not all were at the concert. Among the dead and injured are police officers.
The Jewish mayor of Las Vegas, Carolyn G. Goodman, in a tweet asked her followers to “Pray for Las Vegas.” She also thanked the first responders.
Pray for Las Vegas. Thank you to all our first responders out there now.
— Shelley Berkley (@mayoroflasvegas) October 2, 2017
Sheriff Joe Lombardo in a news conference said that Paddock was a “local individual” and police did not believe so far that the attack was an act of terrorism.
Several news outlets later identified Paddock as being from Mesquite, Nevada, about 80 miles, from Las Vegas, along Nevada’s border with Arizona.
(Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)
Paddock reportedly was not known to police, was not a veteran of the military and lived in a retirement community.
There are over 70,000 Jews and at least 19 synagogues located in Las Vegas, according to the JewishVegas.com website.
Images from the active shooter scene so far around Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard #RJnow pic.twitter.com/5QWavyO3lF
— Chase Stevens (@CSStevensphoto) October 2, 2017
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