Live Updates: All Victims In Vegas Mass Shooting Died Of Gunshot Wounds, Coroner Confirms

BuzzFeed News is updating with the latest information on the Las Vegas shooting here.

What We Know So Far

  • At least 58 people were killed, not including the shooter, and more than 480 others were injured in the massacre on the Las Vegas Strip on Oct. 1.
  • It is the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
  • The shooter opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel on the Strip, taking aim at a large, 22,000-person outdoor concert taking place nearby.
  • Police identified the shooter as Stephen Paddock, 64, from Mesquite, Nevada. He was found dead in his hotel suite after killing himself.
  • President Trump visited Las Vegas after calling the shooting "an act of pure evil."
  • The motive for the shooting is unclear. Paddock's girlfriend was questioned by the FBI. The local sheriff says there is no evidence linking Paddock to a terror group.
  • Here are the victims of the shooting.
  • Here are the hoaxes around the shooting.

Updates

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All 58 victims died of gunshot wounds, 18 of them to the head, coroner reports

Stephen Paddock, the gunman who carried out the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history from his Las Vegas hotel room, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the mouth, according to a newly-released coroner's report.

Clark County announced Paddock's cause of death Thursday, describing it as suicide via "an intraoral gunshot wound to the head." All 58 people killed in the shooting died from gunshot wounds, the report said.

The coroner's report, obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, indicates that 18 of the 58 people killed in the shooting died from gunshot wounds to the head.

Read more here.

—Jim Dalrymple II

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Report: Laptop recovered from Las Vegas shooter was missing its hard drive

A laptop recovered from the Mandalay Hotel room from where Stephen Paddock fired into a concert crowd was missing a hard drive, ABC News reported.

Investigators have been scouring for clues since Oct. 1 to try to determine what prompted Paddock to fire at the crowd and orchestrating the deadliest mass shooting in US history.

Authorities believe Paddock removed the hard drive from the laptop sometime before shooting himself in the hotel room, and officials have not yet been able to find it, ABC News reported. Investigators also believe Paddock purchased software to erase hard drive files, but have been unable to determine whether it was used.

Nearly a month after the shooting, Las Vegas law enforcement have said they have been unable to determine a motive for the deadly shooting, and that the 64-year-old gunman appeared to have left behind no suicide note or manifesto before killing himself.

—Salvador Hernandez

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The hotel security guard wounded in the shooting gave first media interview

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Jesus Campos, the Mandalay Bay security guard struck in the leg during the shooting, gave his first — and possibly only — media interview Wednesday on Ellen.

Campos recounted how the night of Oct. 1 unfolded after he was called to the 32nd floor of the hotel to check on a door that was left open in a stairwell.

When Campos saw that a metal bracket was holding the door shut, he called for an engineer to come take a look.

As Campos walked away toward the elevators, the two stairwell doors shut behind him. He said he assumes that is how the shooter knew someone was in the hallway.

"I heard rapid fire," Campos said. "At first, I took cover. I felt a burning sensation." He said he then realized he'd been shot in the leg and used his radio to tell hotel staff that shots had been fired.

At that time, the engineer — Stephen Schuck — arrived on the 32nd floor and Campos instructed him to take cover.

Schuck, who was also interviewed by Ellen DeGeneres, said that if Campos had not warned him about the shooter, he would have definitely gotten hit by a bullet.

DeGeneres thanked Campos for saving the lives of Shuck and hotel guests and said that the security guard does not plan on giving any more interviews.

"I understand your reluctance, because you just want this to be over," she said. "So you're talking about it now, and then you're not going to talk about it again. And I don't blame you, because why relive this over and over again."

—Mary Ann Georgantopoulos

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Clark County sheriff clarifies timeline of shooting

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said Friday investigators had determined that a security guard notified hotel staff seconds after he was shot by the Las Vegas shooter.

The Oct. 1 timeline of when the guard at Mandalay Bay hotel was shot near Stephen Paddock's hotel room, when the hotel security team was notified, and when the mass shooting started, has been a point of contention and confusion in recent days.

However, Lombardo said authorities agreed with hotel owner MGM that the guard notified security staff seconds after being shot while attempting to breach a barricaded door to the 32nd floor near Paddock's hotel room.

Paddock fired 200 rounds at the guard, Jesus Campos, who survived his injuries, at 9:59 p.m., Lombardo said. Six minutes later at 10:05 p.m., Paddock opened fire, killing 58 below. By 10:17 p.m., 12 minutes later, officers had also arrived at the 32nd floor, by which time, the shooting had already stopped, Lombardo said.

Paddock was found dead inside the room with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Despite the shifting details, Lombardo was defensive of the integrity of the overall investigation.

"This is a very dynamic event, very big event," he told reporters. "Thousands of people involved. Humans involved in documentation."

He added the while the death toll remained at 58, five people remained in critical condition. Of the 546 injuries reported as a result of the shooting, 501 of those victims had been discharged from medical facilities, he said.

The investigation into Paddock's motive, meanwhile, remains ongoing.

—Blake Montgomery

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Hotels disputes report that suggests 6-minute delay in notifying police of shooter

Mandalay Bay didn't call police about shooting in hotel until after gunman opened fire on Vegas crowd, official says https://t.co/UQzvalDQD3

The Associated Press on Thursday reported that hotel officials delayed notifying police of the shooting inside Mandalay Bay by six minutes — however hotel officials disputed that account, citing an incorrect log on the shooting, rather than an actual delay.

In fact, Mandalay Bay parent company MGM said in a statement that only 40 seconds elapsed between the gunfire being reported and the mass shooting at the music festival.

"We know that shots were being fired at the festival lot at the same time as, or within 40 seconds after, the time [Mandalay Bay security guard] Jesus Campos first reported that shots were fired over the radio," MGM said.

The AP attributed its report to a federal official who had been briefed by law enforcement. The official said six minutes elapsed between the first gunshots inside the hotel and the hotel's report to police.

MGM confirmed that an internal document related to the shooting was timestamped at 9:59 p.m., six minutes before closed circuit video captured the first rounds being fired at the music festival. But, the 9:59 p.m. time was manually logged after the fact and based on incorrect information, MGM said.

"We are now confident that the time stated in this report is not accurate," MGM said.

—Claudia Koerner

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College student files first lawsuit against hotel used by shooter

A California college student who was injured in the Las Vegas mass shooting filed the first lawsuit against MGM Resorts, which owns the hotel and casino from where the gunman fatally shot 58 people and injured more than 500 others at a music festival on Oct. 1.

Paige Gasper, a 21-year-old student at Sonoma State University, was struck by a bullet during country singer Jason Aldean's performance at the Route 91 festival.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in a Nevada district court, accuses MGM Resorts and Mandalay Corp. of negligence by failing to maintain the hotel's premises in a "reasonably safe condition."

"This is the America we live in where people can do horrible things," a lawyer for Gasper said at a news conference Wednesday. "By failing to plan for it, we put a lot of people in danger."

Read more here.

—Tasneem Nashrulla

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MGM Resorts is disputing the revised timeline of the Las Vegas shooting

MGM Resorts International is disputing the new timeline of the mass shooting in Las Vegas last Sunday, one day after Las Vegas police revealed that the gunman shot a hotel security guard six minutes before opening fire on a country music festival.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the company, which owns the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, said that they believe the timeline currently accepted by authorities "may be incorrect."

“This remains an ongoing investigation with a lot of moving parts. As evidenced by law enforcement briefings over the past week, many facts are still unverified and continue to change as events are under review. MGM Resorts spokesperson Debra DeShong wrote in the statement.

"We cannot be certain about the most recent timeline that has been communicated publicly, and we believe what is currently being expressed may not be accurate," she continued.

MGM did not specify what part of the timeline the company believes is inaccurate. The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to request for comment.

On Monday, Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo revised a key detail, telling reporters that the security guard, Jesus Campos, approached the shooter's room prior to the massacre, rather than afterwards, as police had previously assumed.

The revelation raised new questions about why it took authorities so long to locate the source of the shooting, and whether hotel security had informed authorities that a Mandalay Bay security guard had been shot.

—Blake Montgomery

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Authorities change timeline of shooting: Las Vegas security guard was shot before gunman opened fire on crowd

NEW: Las Vegas sheriff says Mandalay Bay security guard was shot 6 minutes before first shots were fired at crowd.… https://t.co/4sUaXn3cfz

A Mandalay Bay security guard was shot by the Las Vegas gunman before he opened fire on the crowd below, not after the mass shooting as authorities had previously stated, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo told reporters Monday.

Law enforcement had previously assumed it had been the security guard's presence on the 32nd floor of the hotel that prompted the gunman, Stephen Paddock, to stop shooting at the outdoor concert below because "he was in fear he was about to be breached."

On Monday, however, Lombardo said the security guard, Jesus Campos, was in fact shot just before 10 p.m. as he approached Paddock's door. Campos, Lombardo said, was investigating what sounded like someone drilling in the room.

Paddock is believed to have been drilling into a doorway to place a camera or a rifle. After shooting Campos through the door, he opened fire on the crowd at 10:05 p.m., Lombardo said.

Campos informed hotel security that he had been shot, but Lombardo said officers searching the hotel did not know he had been wounded until they found him on the floor.

Asked about the altered timeline, Lombardo called it a "minute change."

"Some things are going to change" due to the ongoing investigation, Lombardo said. "It's not completely inaccurate, but what we have learned is that Mr. Campos was encountered by the suspect prior to his shooting of the outside world."

Lombardo said investigators are now unsure what prompted Paddock to stop shooting at 10:15 p.m.

Investigators are also still trying to determine Paddock's motive, having found no evidence that he was linked to a terrorist group, Lombardo said.

Asked if the security guard's shooting might have pushed Paddock's initial plan and prompted him to start shooting at the crowd, Lombardo said, "I'm not privy to that."

Authorities also believe Paddock's attempt to shoot at fuel storage tanks at a nearby airport, and to pack a car with explosive material, might have been part of a plan to create a distraction to escape.

"What he had enabled first responders to be directing their attention to other locations that would enable Mr. Paddock to just leave the hotel," Lombardo said. "We don't know if he had planned to do additional harm."

—Salvador Hernandez

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The Las Vegas strip went dark Sunday night to pay tribute to the victims of last week's massacre

Las Vegas Review-Journal via Facebook / Via Facebook: video.php

Marquees along the Las Vegas Strip went dark for about 10 minutes Sunday night to honor the 58 victims killed in the city's recent mass shooting, dimming at the exact time that a gunman opened fire on a country music festival one week earlier.

Calling it a "show of unity and strength," the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said that 60 businesses across the Las Vegas Valley — including most casinos on the Strip — took part in the tribute.

The victims, the group said in a Facebook post, "are the stars that shine brightest in our hearts. #VegasStrong." As the lights went off, people around the city held candlelight vigils and placed flowers on the median along the Strip.

Other landmarks, including New York's One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, and the Eiffel Tower, have made similar displays of solidarity since the massacre, using their lights to commemorate the victims of the worst mass shooting in recent American history.

Brianna Sacks

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Police say Las Vegas gunman left behind note with what they believe were calculations of his distance from the shooting victims

Investigators probing the Las Vegas shooting now believe that a note found in the gunman's hotel room contained calculations on his distance from victims attending the Route 91 festival on the Strip, and on the trajectory from his 32nd-floor hotel room to the crowd at the concert below.

In an interview with CBS News 60 Minutes, Las Vegas police officers who were among the first at the scene Sunday night described the first moments when officers breached the hotel room of the shooter, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, after he opened fire on the concert, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds more.

In addition to the 23 firearms found in the hotel room, officers told CBS that they found a note near one of the windows Paddock had smashed open in order to fire on people attending the concert across the Strip.

"I could see on it he had written the distance, the elevation he was on, the drop of what his bullet was gonna be for the crowd," Officer David Newton told CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker, in a clip released Saturday. "So he had that written down and figured out so he would know where to shoot to hit his targets from there."

Authorities have previously acknowledged the existence of the note, but until now, had declined to reveal details about its contents, except to say that it was not a suicide note.

In the interview, officers said the shooter had set up a rifle on a bipod near the door of his hotel room. "His plan might have been to shoot it out with us," LVMPD officer David Newton said. "Just the amount of ammunition and weapons he had. He could of held us off for hours."

—Grace Wyler

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Family of Las Vegas shooting victim files lawsuit against gunman's estate

The family of one of the victims killed Sunday in the Las Vegas mass shooting filed a lawsuit Friday against the gunman and his estate.

The suit, filed in Las Vegas Friday afternoon by the family of John Phippen, is the first civil action filed against Stephen Paddock, the 64-year-old shooter who killed 58 people and injured more than 480 others.

"We're moving forward, and we're moving aggressively," Richard Patterson, an attorney from the firm Owen Patterson & Owen, who is representing the Phippen family.

Phippen, 56, was from Santa Clarita, California. He was dancing next to his son when he was struck by a bullet in the lower back.

The suit, obtained by BuzzFeed News, does not detail how much in damages the family is seeking, but is also looking to determine exactly how much Paddock's estate is worth.

Paddock killed himself before officers made it to his 32nd-floor suite.

Though Phippen's family is the only listed plaintiff in the suit, Patterson said he's been in contact with other families looking to take similar action.

In the lawsuit, Patterson notes Paddock's properties in Mesquite and Reno, and said he is hoping officials will determine other properties and assets owned by the gunman.

"Even if he has $10 million, that's not going to be enough to compensate these people," Patterson said.

Paddock's brother, Eric Paddock, has described him as a wealthy person who liked high-stakes gambling at Las Vegas casinos.

Salvador Hernandez

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Retailers are pulling the rapid-fire device used by the Las Vegas shooter off their shelves

Two major US retailers have pulled "bump stocks" off their virtual and physical shelves this week after a gunman used the devices in Las Vegas to modify his weapons to fire nearly as fast as automatic weapons.

Walmart pulled the bump stocks off its online retail site this week, and on Friday, Cabela's confirmed to BuzzFeed News it was pulling the devices off the shelves of their 80-plus stores across the US.

"Like all Americans, we are shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific tragedy in Las Vegas," Cabela's said in a statement, adding that they understand that the right to bear arms comes with "profound responsibilities, including the safe handling, secure storage and lawful use of firearms at all times."

In a statement to BuzzFeed News, a Walmart spokesperson said the company pulled bump stocks off its online retail site because they were a prohibited item all along and should have not have been made available.

The spokesperson did not specify when or how it identified bump stocks were being sold on its online platform.

Walmart does not sell "bump stocks" at its stores.

Read more here.

—Salvador Hernandez

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Las Vegas authorities plead for more information as hunt for motive continues

Las Vegas authorities on Friday said they have yet to determine what motivated Stephen Paddock to gun down hundreds of people Sunday night at an outdoor concert, killing 58 in what has become the worst mass shooting in modern US history.

Kevin McMahill, undersheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said that despite running down more than 1,000 leads, and combing through social media and computer data, nothing has turned up.

"Today, in our investigation, we don't have any of that uncovered," McMahill told reporters.

In a later interview on CNN, he was confident authorities would eventually get there, in some form or another.

"I believe we are going to find the answer to that. We just haven't gotten there yet," he said. "But you know, ultimately, at the end of the day, not knowing is also an answer. And if we arrive at that point, we will have exhausted every investigative lead and opportunity to the very end before we are willing to provide that."

Despite ISIS claiming responsibility for the attack, McMahill told reporters at the briefing that investigators have found "no known nexus" to the terrorist group.

He also dispelled rumors that there was another shooter in the room, or that someone else used Paddock's hotel room key.

Still, the hunt for any possible accomplices remains ongoing, he added.

"What I cannot confirm to you today and what we continue to investigate is whether anybody else may have known about this incident," McMahill said. "I'll tell you, though, that all of the rumor and speculation has not been helpful to our investigation."

To that end, federal and local authorities are also partnering up with Clear Channel to launch a billboard "If you know something, say something" campaign in an effort to get more information.

Clark County confirmed Friday that this image would be the billboard going up:

No information is too small or insignificant. If you know something, say something. 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324) w/info… https://t.co/sT7RuftzqY

In his interview with CNN, McMahill also refused to confirm the network's report that Paddock's car had been rigged with explosives to explode when shot.

"I don't know what he was doing with it. But to be clear, we found no evidence that his vehicle, that material in his vehicle had intended to be used as an IED within that vehicle," he said. "The answer to your question is, I don't know what he was going to do with it. It's one of the mysteries of this actual attack."

—Adolfo Flores

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White House says it's moving forward with cuts to programs that train first responders

White House press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday that the Trump administration is moving forward with cuts to programs that train first responders to deal with attacks like those in Las Vegas.

"I think at this point we're continuing to move forward," Sanders said. "If it is a moment where we feel like the safety and security of American citizens may be at risk because of cuts, I think we’d have to revisit it at that time."

President Trump's fiscal year 2018 budget plan cuts hundreds of millions of dollars from FEMA, roughly 9% of its total budget, according to the Washington Post.

Critics say Trump's budget will hobble responses to terrorist attacks. In June, Democratic Rep. Bennie Johnson of Mississippi wrote an editorial in The Hill titled "Trump’s Budget Decimates Our Local First Responders" blasting the planned funding cuts.

—Blake Montgomery

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Las Vegas shooter bought 1,000 "tracer rounds" prior to shooting

Las Vegas mass shooter Stephen Paddock bought 1,000 "tracer rounds" from a private gun dealer in Mesa, Arizona, in September, the Associated Press reported.

This ammunition leaves a fiery trail as it flies through the air, helping shooters evaluate their aim at night. It's unclear whether Paddock used the .308-caliber and .223-caliber rounds in the attack.

The AP reported that Paddock left a note in his hotel room, where police found 23 guns, that had the name of the Arizona gun shop that sold him the ammunition.

—Blake Montgomery

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Here's how the rapid fire device used by the Las Vegas gunman became legal

The leading maker of "bump stocks" currently advertises them as a legal way to make a rifle shoot like automatic weapons, but that wasn't always the case. To get them approved by federal regulators, Slide Fire Solutions initially pitched the devices as a way to help people with "limited mobility" fire their weapons.

For a few hundred bucks, bump stocks allow semi-automatic weapons to fire nearly as fast as machine guns, a modification that authorities say was used by the Las Vegas gunman on 12 of the rifles found in his Mandalay Bay suite.

With rapid fire effect from this 32nd story window on Sunday night, gunman Stephen Paddock mowed down hundreds of outdoor concertgoers, killing 58 people.

Since the worst mass shooting in modern US history unfolded, the devices have come under bipartisan scrutiny in Congress. Questions are also being raised about how one of the leading manufacturers, Slide Fire Solutions, got them approved by regulators.

"This company is presenting that their intention is to manufacture a device for people with a handicap, so they could do the technique," retired ATF Special Agent David Chipman told BuzzFeed News. "We're not selling toasters here. These are weapons of war."

Read more here.

—Salvador Hernandez

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Man drives from Illinois to install tribute crosses for shooting victims

A man on Thursday installed 58 memorial crosses along the Las Vegas Strip to honor the victims of Sunday night's mass shooting.

Local news outlets reported that the man who brought the crosses, Greg Zanis, drove from Aurora, Illinois.

According to WGN9, Zanis, a carpenter, drove 1800 miles with the crosses to honor the victims. He's made 20,000 crosses over the course of 20 years for homicide and shooting victims, WGN9 reported, but this installation is the most he's ever made at one time.

He wrote a victim's name on every cross, and he brought Stars of David for Jewish victims.

“This row of crosses will show the severity of what really happened there, more so than numbers and pictures in the paper,” he told TV station.

Read more here.

—Blake Montgomery

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Las Vegas airport says gunman's bullet penetrated a jet fuel tank

The gunman who killed 58 people Sunday night at a Las Vegas country music festival also fired bullets at jet fuel tanks located at McCarran International Airport, an airport official confirmed in a statement to BuzzFeed News.

Chris Jones, the Chief Marketing Officer for the airport, said one of the fuel tanks was "struck by rifle fire during the tragic shooting event that occurred in Las Vegas the evening of Oct. 1."

According to the statement, two rifle rounds struck a single, 43,000-barrel fuel tank located along the airport's western perimeter. The tank, which was partially filled, was penetrated by a bullet. The second bullet was found lodged in the tank's steel shell.

The tank is currently being drained and will then be repaired. The airport said it is working with law enforcement agencies in their investigations.

"Contrary to speculation, there is almost zero likelihood gunfire damage could trigger a fire or explosion at a commercial fuel storage facility," according to the statement. "Likewise, in the event of an actual, uncontained tank fire, these systems are engineered to vent flames upward into the air rather than explode."

—Mary Ann Georgantopoulos

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The first fire truck arrived to the scene of the shooting before 911 calls were even made

The first fire truck arrived on the scene of the Las Vegas shooting within seconds, said Greg Cassell, chief of the Clark County Fire Department.

"Our response time to that incident, I can honestly say, for our first arriving unit was less than five seconds," Cassell said in a press conference Thursday about the fire department's response.

Fire Engine 11, stationed about a mile from where the Harvest 91 country music festival took place, was driving back from a traffic accident when gunfire was heard.

"The captain was like 'that's gunfire'. They were right there at the fence of the event," said Cassell.

The captain of the fire engire immediately called dispatch, asked if there were reports of gunfire because he could hear a lot.

"They said 'no... oh yes, now we do,'" said Cassell.

Within moments, the gates opened on Giles Street "and out poured dozens and dozens of patients. Critically and some mortally wounded, and swamped that engine company sitting in the middle of the street," said Cassell.

That engine captain, Ken O'Shaughnessy, immediately called for a first alarm medical assignment, which brought many different units and ambulances, and also a mass casualty unit.

"We had a wide range of injuries from trample type injuries to sprains and strains and fractures and people trying to get out, get over fences and walls, lacerations, from those types of things. We did have those unfortunate high-power weapon rounds that struck people and caused the damage that high-powered weapons do," explained the fire chief.

A total of 160 firefighters responded to the shooting, from different engine companies. Sixteen rescue task forces, made up of fire fighters and police officers, were sent out to handle the event.

Cassell outlined how tricky it was when initial reports came in, with 32 separate incident reports being filed, all related to the one shooting event.

There was also miscommunication about shooting victims who left and ran to other hotels, such as Caesars Palace, to seek help, said the fire chief. People who called the Fire Department reported that shooters were at Caesar's Palace, rather than the festival area.

"What that does is that complicates the matter," said Cassell. "Is this a single event or are we under a Mumbai-style attack?," a reference to the 2008 terror attacks in India that hit a series of hotels and other tourist attractions.

Fire chief asked a/b Las Vegas: "Do you think an incident like this was inevitable?” A: “We have thought something… https://t.co/Luv0KMczF0

The fire chief noted that for years now his department has been training for a mass casualty event of this nature, particularly when it comes to how to control bleeding and handle tourniquets, as well as getting patients to hospitals as quickly as possible and communicating with the police department.

"Our training paid off," said Cassell.

"We've learned the lessons from Columbine, we've learned the lessons from Aurora," said the fire chief. "Ten years ago this would have been a much worse event."

— Amber Jamieson

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Las Vegas shooter may have scouted other venues, planned other attacks

Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock may have scouted out crowded cultural locations such as Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, and Red Sox's Fenway Park in Boston, before he shot and killed 58 people and injured hundreds at a country music festival Sunday night.

A federal official also told the Associated Press that authorities are are investigating whether Paddock planned additional attacks, including a car bombing.

Chicago Police, meanwhile, are investigating reports that Paddock booked hotel rooms in Chicago during this year's Lollapalooza music festival in August.

TMZ reported on Wednesday that Paddock booked rooms at the Blackstone hotel in Chicago, overlooking Grant Park where Lollapalooza is held. Paddock requested rooms with a "park view" during the festival, reported TMZ, but apparently never turned up.

ABC News also confirmed the news.

NEW: Las Vegas shooter booked rooms in Chicago in first week of August, during Lollapalooza festival, officials briefed say - @JoshMargolin

The Chicago Tribune confirmed on Thursday that Chicago Police are looking into the report.

"We are aware of the media reports and have been in communication with our federal partners," said chief police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, in a statement to the Tribune.

The Blackstone Hotel is one of several hotels in a row overlooking Grant Park, about 0.25 mile from the festival stages.

Lorde, The Killers and Chance the Rapper all played at this year's festival. Both Malia and Sasha Obama attended Lollapalooza 2017.

NBC reports that Paddock also researched possible locations in Boston. He googled concerts at Boston's famed Fenway Park and the Boston Center for the Arts, according to the Boston Globe.

NBC News: Stephen Paddock searched for hotels near Fenway Park in Boston, senior official says. Few if any hotels have any view of stands.

On Wednesday, Las Vegas Police confirmed that Paddock rented three rooms at the Ogden, a building of luxury condos, overlooking the Life is Beautiful festival two weeks ago in Las Vegas, and checked into them.

Lorde and Chance the Rapper also headlined that festival.

Here’s the Ogden Hotel (on left) the Vegas gunmen checked into last week, shot from the Life is Beautiful festival… https://t.co/uMV8w53NJw

"Was he doing pre-surveillance?" said Sheriff Joseph Lombardo on Wednesday, speaking about Paddock's time at the Ogden, which he booked on Airbnb. "We don’t know yet."

Tanks of jet fuel located near the Route 91 Harvest concert were shot by Paddock during his rampage, noted The Review-Journal, and although a bullet penetrated the tank, there was no fire or explosion.

— Amber Jamieson

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White House releases photos of Trump meeting with Las Vegas victims

The White House released a series of photos of President Trump and first lady Melania Trump meeting with victims of the Las Vegas shooting at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada on Wednesday. Trump tweeted on Thursday that it was "wonderful" to visit the city, and that he'll "never forget" his encounters with victims.

— Amber Jamieson

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Trump tweets his Las Vegas visit was "so wonderful"

In an early-morning tweet Thursday, the president said it was "wonderful" to meet first responders, doctors, and "the victims themselves" during his visit to the city Wednesday.

So wonderful to be in Las Vegas yesterday and meet with people, from police to doctors to the victims themselves, who I will never forget!

—Cora Lewis

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A moment-by-moment breakdown of how the Las Vegas shooting unfolded

Ten minutes. That's how long it took for 64-year-old Stephen Paddock to kill 58 people, injure 489 others, and turn the final night of a country music festival into a massacre.

Las Vegas police on Wednesday shared the most complete timeline so far of the attack, based on footage from closed-circuit TV and police body cameras, as well as radio logs. The account reveals new details about the 90 minutes of terror that unfolded after Paddock began shooting, as police tried to locate the source of the gunfire as casualties mounted.

Yet even amid the chaos, authorities said Wednesday, officers — and a brave hotel security guard — acted quickly and seem to have prevented Paddock from making an escape.

Read the minute-to-minute breakdown of the attack here.

—Claudia Koerner

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"The floor was stained with blood": Las Vegas nurses describe a night of chaos after Sunday's mass shooting

LAS VEGAS — Jon Dimaya's wife told him to go save some lives.

It was 10:46 p.m. Sunday when Dimaya, a registered nurse who manages a rapid response team, received a text message from Sunrise Hospital notifying him that there had been a mass casualty event. Dimaya wasn't scheduled to work that night, but when his wife told him "go do it, go save some lives," he and Gen Sicat, a coworker and fellow nurse, got in a car and drove into the fray.

Police would later reveal that a gunman, identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, had opened fire at a concert on the Las Vegas Strip, killing 58 people and injuring more than 480 others. But as the chaos unfolded that night, reliable information was scarce and Dimaya and Sicat only knew that the hospital needed them. When they arrived, the scene was shocking.

"It was chaos," Sicat told BuzzFeed News. "I walked in the door and I saw upper management running around. I saw patients walking in all bloodied up. Patients were just pouring in."

"The patients were there already," Dimaya said. "They had already started pouring in. Most of the bays were full."

Dimaya recalled blood staining the floor of the hospital. "I think that’s one of the things that will stick with me, is how red the floor was stained with blood," he said.

Read more here.

—Jim Dalrymple

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Sheriff says Las Vegas shooter planned to escape alive after massacre

Evening press conference with @Sheriff_LVMPD provides a few updates, including a timeline of the shooting.

The Las Vegas shooter who opened fire from his 32nd story hotel room, killing 58 and injuring hundreds more, intended to escape alive after the attack, officials said Wednesday.

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo told reporters at a briefing that police had uncovered evidence that the shooter, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, had plans to escape, but declined to say what it was.

“Stephen Paddock is a man who spent decades acquiring weapons and ammo and lived a secret life, much of which will never be fully understood, and planned on the worst massive attack in United States history," Lombardo said.

Lombardo also said he believes Paddock had accomplices.

"You look at how many weapons he obtained, the different amounts of Tannerite available, do you think this was all accomplished on his own, face value?" the sheriff said. "You've got to make the assumption he had to have help at some point."

Earlier in the day, Paddock's girlfriend, Marilou Danley, had no knowledge of any attack. She was interviewed Wednesday by FBI agents after voluntarily returning from her home country, the Philippines.

Lombardo also praised the actions of Jesus Campos, the security guard who first approached Paddock's room.

Paddock shot 200 rounds through the door after he saw Campos approaching, but only hit the guard in the leg. Paddock didn't fire on the crowd after Campos approached.

"His bravery was amazing because he remained with our officers, providing them the key pass to access the door, and continued to help them clear rooms until our officer demanded he seek medical attention," Lombardo said.

Lombardo also revealed that Paddock had three containers of Tannerite, a commercially available explosive that ignites when shot, in his car. Two them were 20 pounds, the other 10 pounds, he said.

However, it was not immediately clear what Paddock's plans were for the car.

Lombard also said Paddock rented another room at the Ogden Hotel through Airbnb a week earlier during the Life Is Beautiful music festival.

—Blake Montgomery

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Security guard was first to locate gunman's hotel room, was shot in thigh

A security guard was the first person to respond to gunman Stephen Paddock inside Mandalay Bay on Sunday.

David Hickey, president of the union representing the guard, identified him as Jesus Campos. Campos was shot in the thigh during the encounter and is now recuperating at home with a surgery scheduled, Hickey told CNN.

Campos had been patrolling inside the hotel when gunfire broke out and responded to the suite on the 32nd floor. Stairwells were blocked, so Campos had to approach through the elevator, Hickey told CNN.

A video camera was set on a cart outside the room, so Paddock was able to watch the guard approach, Hickey said. He fired through the door, striking Campos in the upper right thigh.

The guard reported his location — the first time authorities could confirm the exact room and floor inside the hotel, Hickey said.

Sheriff's deputies and police eventually broached the suite door using explosives and found Paddock dead inside by suicide.

—Claudia Koerner

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Lawmakers want to ban the device used by the Las Vegas shooter to fire like a machine gun

Democrats in both the House and Senate unveiled new legislation Wednesday to ban the inexpensive device used by the Las Vegas gunman to rapidly fire semi-automatic rifles like machine guns in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.

Twelve "bump stock" devices were attached to firearms found in Stephen Paddock's Mandalay Bay hotel suite where he took aim at a crowd of concertgoers Sunday night, killing 58 people and injuring more than 500 others.

Automatic weapons, only legal if made before 1986, are heavily regulated by the federal government, requiring approval and registration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. But bump stock devices, available for about $200 to 350 in most states, can easily make legal guns fire mimic the functionality of a machine gun.

"Automatic weapons have been illegal for more than 30 years, but there's a loophole in the law that can be exploited to allow killers to fire at rates of between 400 and 800 rounds per minute," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat. "The only reason to fire so many rounds so fast is to kill large numbers of people."

Read more here.

—Salvador Hernandez

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Marilou Danley, girlfriend of the Las Vegas shooter, says she did not know he was planning attack

JUST IN: Attorney reads statement from Marilou Danley, the Vegas attacker's girlfriend: "I have been cooperating." https://t.co/lKVTuQUpw6

Marilou Danley, the girlfriend of Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock, broke her silence regarding the massacre Tuesday, issuing a statement through her attorney that claimed she did not suspect his plans, and believed he sent her abroad to break up with her.

Danley's lawyer, Matthew Lombard, read the statement aloud Wednesday to reporters in Los Angeles, where she is currently being interviewed by the FBI. In her statement, she promised to cooperate fully with the investigation.

"I am devastated by the deaths and injuries that have occurred, and my prayers go out to the victims and their families and all those who have been hurt by these awful events," the statement said.

"I knew Stephen Paddock as a kind, caring, quiet man," Danley continued. "I loved him and hoped for a quiet future together with him. He never said anything to me or took any action that I was aware of that I understood in any way to be a warning that something horrible like this was going to happen."

The statement then explained that a little over two weeks ago, Paddock told her he found a cheap airline ticket to the Philippines, Danley's home country, and suggested she take a trip there to visit friends and family. While there, Danley said, Paddock "wired her money to buy a house for her and her family."

"I was grateful but honestly I was worried that first the unexpected trip home, and then the money was a way of breaking up with me," she said. "It never occurred to me in any way whatsoever that he was planning violence against anyone."

—Grace Wyler

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Mandalay Bay hotel reportedly gave shooter his room for free because of high-roller status

Las Vegas mass shooter Stephen Paddock specifically requested the 32nd floor room at the Mandalay Bay hotel from which he opened fire and killed 58 people Sunday night — and got it for free because of his status as a high-stakes gambler, the Associated Press reported.

The two-room suite with a view of the concert venue wasn't available until Saturday. The description matches that of the room Paddock moved into Saturday night, indicating further premeditation than previously thought.

The Associated Press cited a person who had seen Mandalay Bay hotel records but who disclosed the information on condition of anonymity.

Paddock fired on the concert for what police said was a 9- to 11-minute span before apparently taking his own life.

MGM Resorts, which owns Mandalay Bay, declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

—Blake Montgomery

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Trump tells Las Vegas: "Our souls are stricken with grief"

In his last stop before leaving Las Vegas, President Trump on Wednesday said that in the depths of horror, "we will always find hope in the men and women who risk their lives for ours."

Addressing the nation in front of a group of police officers, as well as local and state officials, Trump echoed statements he made earlier in the day while visiting with first responders and victims and their families.

"Our souls are stricken with grief for every American who lost a husband or a wife, a mother or a father, a son or a daughter," Trump said. "We know that your sorrow feels endless. We stand together to help you carry your pain. You are not alone. We will never leave your side."

His comments came after Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval pledged to be resolved as a community, and never forget the tragedy and sacrifice shown by those who came under attack Sunday night.

"Yes, we are hurt, and hurt badly but not broken," Sandoval said. "We have seen generosity on a scale that is unprecedented in Nevada history. We know that we will never, ever forget this horrific event. But we will March forward as a family, giving each other comfort, support, and love."

—Talal Ansari

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President Trump at Las Vegas hospital: "We are there for you"

President Trump met with victims, families, and medical personnel at the University Medical Center in Las Vegas, the only Level 1 trauma center in Nevada that saw a deluge of seriously injured concertgoers on Sunday night.

The president made brief comments to reporters before leaving to visit first responders.

"What I saw today is just an incredible tribute to professionalism. And what they have done is incredible. And you never want to see it again. That I can tell you," Trump said alongside the first lady and a doctor from the hospital. "But the message I have is, we have a great country and we are there for you. And they're there for us."

At one point, a reporter asked if the country has a gun violence problem.

"We're not going to talk about that today. We won't talk about that," the president said.

After visiting the hospital, Trump arrived at the headquarters of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, talking to first responders and police officers.

"There's really a lot of stories that are great heroism, tremendous number of stories," Trump told police officers and first responders seated in a room.

Trump, who was introduced to the officers who initially made contact with the alleged shooter, praised the response to the shooting.

"Something like that could take place for hours and hours and hours and you can't figure it out," Trump said. "You should be very proud, sheriff."

Later Trump referred to the shooter as a "sick, demented man," and asked Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo if there were any new leads.

"Still a little bit soon. We have a couple good leads. And we're working our way through that," Lombardo said. "We're going to get the answers."

—Talal Ansari

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President Trump arrives in Las Vegas to meet with first responders and victims

President Trump arrived in Las Vegas on Tuesday to meet with victims of Sunday's mass shooting.

He was accompanied by first lady Melania Trump and was greeted by Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, and Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman.

Aboard Air Force One, the president was accompanied by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Mark Amodei, and Sen. Dean Heller, who both represent Nevada.

The president is scheduled to meet with those still injured in the hospital, first responders, the families of victims.

—Talal Ansari

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Marilou Danley, the girlfriend of the Vegas shooter and a person of interest in the case, has returned to the US

Danley, 62, arrived Tuesday night in Los Angeles from the Philippines and was met by federal agents at the airport.

Danley, the girlfriend of the gunman, was out of the country at the time of the shooting and called a "person of interest" Tuesday by officials investigating the deadly mass shooting.

According to reports, Paddock wired $100,000 to the Philippines in the weeks prior to the attack. It was not known who received the money or what it was intended for.

—Blake Montgomery

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Las Vegas officials release body cam footage of officers responding to mass shooting

View this video on YouTube

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Las Vegas Metropolitan police on Tuesday released body camera footage of several officers responding to the mass shooting as they frantically tried to clear the area and find the shooter.

Clark County Undersheriff Kevin McMahill, who said the shooter fired over a 9- to 11-minute span, also gave a detailed timeline of how the response to the shooting unfolded.

The first call came into the dispatch center at 10:08 p.m., but after repeated volleys of gunfire from the 32nd window of the Mandalay Bay hotel room, the shooting stopped at 10:19 p.m., McMahill said.

"I want you to think about that," he told reporters at a press briefing. "The first minute the police are aware of shots being fired at 10:08, and it stops at 10:19. That's a remarkable response by this police department."

Body cam footage showed to reporters Tuesday contained shakey footage of officers yelling passersby to either run away or take cover.

"Go that way! Get out of here, there's gunshots coming from over there. Go that way!" one officer can be heard yelling as rapid-fire shots can be heard in the distance.

As the same time, Las Vegas officers already at the hotel for another event formed a team on their own and started evacuating guests while a security guard approached the room, which was equipped with three outward-facing cameras for surveillance, McMahill said.

The hotel security guard was shot in the leg through the door from inside before S.W.A.T. officers arrived to take over the approach.

"However, at that time, it's important to note that the shooting had stopped," the undersheriff added. "We're considering it a barricade at that point because we're not hearing further shots."

When officers broke through the door, they found the shooter, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Also on Tuesday, officials revised the death toll down from 59 to 58 after saying Paddock had been included in the earlier count.

Investigators have recovered 47 weapons from Paddock's hotel room and properties, including a dozen firearms equipped with "bump stocks," which allowed the weapons to simulate automatic fire and are illegal.

—Blake Montgomery

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Trump claims police stopped Las Vegas shooter who killed himself

It is a "miracle" how fast the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police were able to find the demented shooter and stop him from even more killing!

President Trump claimed in a tweet Tuesday evening that it was a "miracle" police quickly stopped the Las Vegas gunman after he killed 59 people and injured more than 500 others Sunday night.

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo however has said Stephen Paddock, the man identified as the shooter, killed himself before police officers could enter his Mandalay Bay hotel suite.

"It is a 'miracle' how fast the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police were able to find the demented shooter and stop him from even more killing!" Trump's tweet read.

Law enforcement officials have not yet provided a full account of how long it took them to reach the 32nd floor suite Paddock was firing from, but police scanner audio from the night has provided a timeline.

According to NBC News, the first 911 call reporting the shooting was received at 10:08 p.m. It took officers 72 minutes after that call to locate the shooter and breach his room, where he was found dead inside.

—Salvador Hernandez

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Las Vegas hotels Wynn and Encore start using handheld metal detectors to screen guests

In wake of Las Vegas shooting, is this the future of security on strip properties? Metal detectors for guests at En… https://t.co/LSbjNxgUGG

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Tuesday that hotels Wynn Las Vegas and Encore had started checking guests with hand held metal detectors, leading to wait times as lines formed at entrances.

A spokesperson for the hotel said it initiated the scanning Monday morning "when it was uncertain if there were multiple shooters." Now that police have confirmed there was only one shooter and that he is dead, the spokesperson said that the hotel "will return to scanning guests when we believe the need arises."

—Blake Montgomery

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Brother of Las Vegas gunman says he was intelligent, wealthy, and private about his life

The brother of the Las Vegas gunman said he was an intelligent, wealthy man who took care of the people around him.

"Steve took care of the people he loved; he helped me and my family become wealthy," Eric Paddock told reporters outside of his home Tuesday. "He's the reason I was able to retire three years ago."

In an emotional and sometimes ranting exchange with reporters, he said he was not surprised by news reports that his brother, Stephen Paddock, wired $100,000 to the Philippines, though he said he could not confirm the information.

Still, he said wiring that kind of money for his brother would not be a problem, or an odd thing for him to do.

"We're wealthy people; $100,000 isn't that much money, and I'm sorry if that hurts people," he said. "I guess everybody thinks that everybody works at Taco Bell or something. Everybody doesn't work at Taco Bell, there's people who do this."

Authorities believe Stephen Paddock's girlfriend, Marilou Danley, is currently in the Philippines.

"He would have wanted to take care of Marilou," Eric Paddock said. "As Steve must have been cratering into this hell, he wanted to take care of Marilou."

Paddock said his brother was a private person, but fun to hang around with for those who knew him, telling reporters of eating "thousands of dollars of sushi" at a Las Vegas hotel where he was a regular visitor.

Despite their time spent together, he said he wouldn't be surprised if his brother didn't keep him updated about significant events in his life, such as getting married or where he would be traveling to.

But days after the deadly shooting, Eric Paddock said he still had no insight as to what pushed his brother to open fire on a crowd of concertgoers Sunday night.

Paddock said he woke up crying Tuesday morning and that he would do anything to make the families of the victims feel better if possible.

"If having a funeral for Steve and letting all these people come and spit on his grave would make them feel better in any shape or form," he said, "I would do whatever is possible."

—Salvador Hernandez

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Sheriff: Gunman opened fire for nine minutes; girlfriend is again a "person of interest"

Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said Tuesday that the girlfriend of Las Vegas mass shooter Stephen Paddock was once again a "person of interest."

Marilou Danley had been listed as a person of interest early on, and Lombardo told reporters that he had asked the Philippines, where she is located, to cooperate with the investigation.

Lombardo also confirmed more chilling details about Paddock's tactical setup on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, where, perched in his room, he fired down onto a concert crowd, killing 59 and wounding hundreds more.

Lombardo said Paddock fired on the crowd for nine minutes before officers were able to reach and breach his room after receiving the first call about the attack at 10:08 p.m. By the time SWAT officers broke through the room door, Paddock was dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and the US had just experienced its worst mass shooting in modern history.

"The world has changed. And, you know, who would have ever imagined this situation," Lombardo said. "I couldn't imagine it. And for this individual to take it upon himself to create this chaos and harm is unspeakable."

According to the sheriff, Paddock had also taken precautions, setting up cameras inside and outside his room, including on a room service cart, "looking for anybody coming to take him into custody."

Lombardo said the FBI was analyzing footage from those cameras, while investigators also reviewed images captured on 67 body cameras on Las Vegas police officers.

Lombardo also said that police have launched an investigation into photos and video of the hotel room and crime scene that were leaked and circulated on social media.

Police have also found seven more firearms at a property owned by Paddock in Reno, bringing the total number of his firearms discovered so far to 49.

Authorities still have not released a possible motive for the attack.

—Blake Montgomery

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Gun shop that sold weapons to Las Vegas shooter says employees are receiving threats

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A Las Vegas gun shop that sold several firearms to Stephen Paddock this year says they are receiving threats and hate mail, but that blaming their employees for the mass shooting is wrong.

"We obviously did not sell him these firearms with the intent that he would use them to hurt anyone in anyway if it does end up that he used these specific firearms in this horrific crime," David Famiglietti, president of New Frontier Armory, said in a statement. "It's no different than blaming Mandalay Bay for booking his hotel room."

A total of 23 firearms were recovered from Paddock's suite, where authorities said he fired on a concert crowd with a firearm that was either fully automatic, or altered to shoot like one.

New Frontier Armory is the third gun shop in or near the Las Vegas area to confirm Paddock purchased weapons from their store.

New Frontier Armory, in Las Vegas, Guns and Guitars in Mesquite, and Dixie GunWorx in St. George, Utah, have said Paddock purchased weapons this year, and passed the required background checks.

"If there were any 'red flags' during this transaction, like any other, it would have been halted immediately," Famiglietti said in a statement. "The firearms that he purchased did not leave our store capable of what we've seen and heard in the video."

—Salvador Hernandez

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These moving photos show how people around the world are reacting to the Las Vegas tragedy

In an all too familiar scene, hundreds around the world have united in mourning to pay their respects for those killed in Sunday's mass shooting in Las Vegas.

View more of the reactions here.

—Gabriel H. Sanchez

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Photos appear to show two of the 23 guns in the shooter's hotel room

EXCLUSIVE: 2 of the 23 guns found in #LasVegas suspect's Mandalay Bay hotel room. Photos obtained by… https://t.co/4EGGZarGfe

Photos obtained by Boston 25 News appeared to show two guns belonging to Stephen Paddock in his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandala Bay hotel.

The photos also show several rounds of ammunition lying on the carpet of the room, which matches the carpet seen in the "Media Suite" and "Conference Suite" rooms of the hotel.

New footage also appeared to show the entryway to Paddock's hotel room.

New video shows entryway to Las Vegas shooting suspect’s hotel room, long gun still visible on the floor inside.… https://t.co/YpRMnc2XnC

— Tasneem Nashrulla

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Country singer Jason Aldean shared his thoughts about the shooting that began during his performance

Over the last 24 hrs I have gone through lots of emotions... #Stopthehate #PrayForLasVegas

"Something has changed in this country and in this world lately that is scary to see," Aldean wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

The shooter, Stephen Paddock, opened fire from the 32nd floor of a hotel room in the Mandalay Bay, targeting the 22,000-person outdoor concert while Aldean was performing.

The country singer spoke at length about the aftermath of the shooting in his statement.

Read more here.

— Tasneem Nashrulla

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Trump says "we'll be talking about gun laws" in light of the shooting

Responding to questions about whether the shooting in Las Vegas would prompt him to take up gun control legislation, President Trump told reporters, "We'll be talking about gun laws as time goes on."

Authorities found 23 guns in the shooter's hotel room, and another 19 firearms, along with explosives and bullets, at his house in Mesquite, Nevada.

Gun control advocates told BuzzFeed News that Nevada law makes it easy — and relatively cheap — for anyone to purchase a small device that makes an assault rifle fire like a machine gun. Nevada has also not banned the sale of machine guns.

A Republican effort to pass legislation making it easier to buy gun silencers — which was delayed after the congressional baseball shooting in June — was delayed once again after the Las Vegas shooting.

The bill appeared to be close to a vote in the House, but Republican leadership said there was no imminent plan to put it to a floor vote.

Speaking to reporters before his visit to Puerto Rico on Tuesday morning, Trump praised the police for the speed with which they found the shooter and breached his hotel room door.

"What happened is, in many ways, a miracle," Trump said. "How quickly the police department was able to get in was really very much of a miracle."

He also called the shooter a "sick man, a demented man" and said he had "a lot of problems, I guess."

"We are looking into him very, very seriously. But we're dealing with a very, very sick individual," the president said.

—Tasneem Nashrulla

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Route 91 Harvest Festival has paid tribute to the victims of Sunday's shooting, and vowed to "persevere, and honor the souls that were lost"

Facebook: Route91Harvest

Route 91 Harvest — the country music festival at the center of Sunday night's mass shooting in Las Vegas — issued a statement addressing the incident on its Facebook page.

"Our deepest sympathies go out to the injured and the deceased and their loved ones. Senseless violence has claimed the souls of our fans and we have little in the way of answers," the statement read, before organizers went on to pay tribute to the bravery of police, emergency services, security personnel, and fans.

The festival added: "While we will try and move forward, we will never forget this day. We will NOT let hate win over LOVE. We will NOT be defeated by senseless violence. We WILL persevere, and honor the souls that were lost. Because it matters." —Francis Whittaker

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Las Vegas vigil: "We're not going to hide"

Still reeling from the worst mass shooting in modern US history, more than 150 people in Las Vegas gathered at City Hall in a show of solidarity Monday.

"Everybody has given blood. They’re at the hospitals. They’re taking food to the police station. They’re helping out as much as they can,” one woman, who identified herself as Dorla, said. “I think we should be known as Faith and Unity City.”

In fact, the response to a blood drive and a rush to donate food were so strong that city officials had appealed for the public to pull back because they were getting overwhelmed.

"Las Vegas is a strong city. It's not a sin city, it's a strong city,” Raquel, who was at the vigil, told BuzzFeed News.

Jon is here with his three sons. "When something like this happens we want to show that the locals are here. We're… https://t.co/GHaQdwqjka

A man who gave his name as Jon brought his three sons to the event to hold signs and to make a statement. He and his wife are nurses and had spent all night treating victims the night before.

"When something like this happens, we want to show that the locals are here,” he said. “We're not going to go hide."

—Jim Dalrymple II and Jason Wells

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Las Vegas shooter had at least 42 guns, including 23 in his hotel room

Asst. Sheriff Fasulo briefs the media. No info to support more assailants. Our investigation continues on scene and… https://t.co/H5Tbpwqna7

Clark County Assistant Sheriff Todd Fasulo said Monday night police have recovered 23 guns from the Mandalay Bay hotel room where Stephen Paddock opened fire on concertgoers below, and another 19 firearms were located in his home in Mesquite, Nevada.

At an evening press conference, Fasulo reiterated that evidence gathered at the scene showed there was only one shooter during Sunday night's massacre. He said authorities do not have any new information on Paddock's motive for the attack.

Additionally, the missing persons hotline for friends and family trying to locate loved ones has changed after an earlier number malfunctioned. It is now 1-800-536-9488.

—Blake Montgomery

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Nevada governor declares emergency for Clark County after mass shooting

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval signed an emergency declaration for Clark County that directs all state agencies to "supplement the local efforts to save lives and protect the health and safety of the victims of last night’s attack."

He also declared a public health and medical disaster, temporarily allowing licensed health care providers employed by a hospital and in good standing in another state to practice in Nevada.

—Blake Montgomery

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CBS fires legal executive over Facebook comments about Las Vegas shooting victims

A @CBS legal exec thought the Las Vegas victims had it coming.

CBS confirmed Monday that it had fired Hayley Geftman-Gold, a legal executive who posted comments on Facebook expressing a lack of sympathy for the victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas.

"This individual, who was with us for approximately one year, violated the standards of our company and is no longer an employee of CBS," the company said in a statement provided to BuzzFeed News. "Her views as expressed on social media are deeply unacceptable to all of us at CBS. Our hearts go out to the victims in Las Vegas and their families."

Earlier Monday, Geftman-Gold commented on a Facebook thread about the shooting, stating, "I’m actually not even sympathetic bc country music fans are often republican gun toters."

The comments, which have since been deleted, were captured in screenshots and quickly sparked outrage across social media.

At CBS, Geftman-Gold worked as a vice president and senior counsel in strategic transactions. She had been at the company since September 2016. —Grace Wyler

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Shooter had explosives in his car and 34 guns in his hotel room and house.

Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said the Las Vegas shooter had 16 guns in his hotel room — "a large suite with two rooms" — and at least 18 others at his house in Mesquite, Nevada. There were rifles of calibers ranging from .308 to .223, as well as a handgun.

The sheriff also said Stephen Paddock's house contained "several pounds" of Tannerite, an explosive that set off a 46,000-acre fire in Arizona in April 2017, and his car held ammonium nitrate, one of the ingredients in the truck bomb detonated by Timothy McVeigh in Oklahoma City in 1995.

Police also recovered "thousands of rounds" of ammunition from Paddock's house.

The sheriff said he and others were making arrangements to contact Marilou Danley, Paddock's girlfriend, when she returns to the country. A SWAT team was poised to storm the suspect's home in northern Nevada.

—Blake Montgomery

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Witnesses describe chaos, carnage, and panic

Bill was at the Route 91 Harvest festival Sunday night with his girlfriend, Dana, when the shots started ringing out in rapid succession. Not long after that, she said she had been hit.

"I tried to find her wounds and cover them so they’d stop bleeding," he told BuzzFeed News outside Sunrise Hospital. "She had blood in her lungs and her arm was open."

Dana, he said, died from her wounds.

Bill was at the concert in Las Vegas w/ his girlfriend Dana. At first they thought the shooting was fireworks. Then… https://t.co/wtFyZ4ZEtq

As the nation on Monday processed the news that the outdoor concert venue in Las Vegas had become the scene of the worst mass shooting in modern US history, victims and their loved ones were also left to come to terms with the life-altering events.

"It's different when you see it. It's not like on TV," Bill said. “When you see people bleeding everywhere, this is some real shit."

James and Jodie Osisanya were at the concert when they heard what they initially thought were fireworks.

"Then we saw the flashes from Mandalay Bay," James said. "There was panic, fear. I saw bodies everywhere."

They were told to take cover in the Tropicana hotel on the Vegas Strip, but Jodie's brother got separated from the group in the chaos.

"He's paralyzed now," James added. "The first thing he said was, 'I can't feel my legs.'"

The death toll from the shooting rose Monday afternoon to 59, but with 527 injured, officials warned that the number could still increase.

"We've had mass events before, but nothing to this magnitude," Dr. Jeffrey Murawsky of Sunrise Hospital told BuzzFeed News. "No one's experienced this."

—Jim Dalrymple II and Jason Wells

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This is why ISIS took responsibility for the Las Vegas shooting

ISIS’s claim of responsibility for the Las Vegas shooting was driven less by a desire to strike fear into the US than by wanting to show its supporters that it remains relevant, experts say, dismissing the militant group’s claim that it had influenced the shooter in the months beforehand.

US officials, including the FBI and the Las Vegas sheriff's department, have said they have no evidence to tie the shooting, which was carried out by 64-year-old Stephen Paddock and left more than 50 people dead, to ISIS. "We have determined to this point no connection with an international terrorist group," FBI investigator Aaron Rouse told reporters Monday.

But the group has doubled down on its claim — releasing a statement and video, even going so far as to provide an alleged nom de guerre used by Paddock.

Read more here.

—Hayes Brown

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Clark County has declared a state of emergency in the wake of the mass shooting in Las Vegas

An #emergency has been declared in #ClarkCounty as a result of #vegasshooting. It was issued a short time ago.… https://t.co/YeqYk3ATpF

Officials in Clark County, Nevada, have declared a state of emergency as a result of the mass shooting that occurred late Sunday night on the Las Vegas Strip.

In a declaration of emergency issued Monday afternoon, the county states that the shooting, which killed nearly 60 people and wounded more than 500 others, has "significantly strained local public safety and fire responder resources and left other parts of the community vulnerable."

The declaration allows the county to apply for state and federal money to reimburse its expenses related to the shooting, a county spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.

"Recent global events have shown that large gatherings of people provide attractive targets to terrorists and others who wish to cause physical and economic harm to the community," the declaration reads, noting that the Las Vegas Strip is one of "the most well-recognized tourist destinations in the world."

—Grace Wyler

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A fundraiser for the victims of the Las Vegas shooting has raised more than $2 million

Steve Sisolak, a commissioner for Clark County, Nevada, started a GoFundMe donation page Monday for the victims that has quickly raised more than $2 million.

In the hours since the fundraiser was launched, nearly 30,000 people had contributed. After reaching the initial goal of $1 million goal, the goal was increased to $2 million.

"Funds will be used to provide relief and financial support to the victims and families of the horrific Las Vegas mass shooting​," Sisolak wrote.

Diamond Resorts International founder Stephen Cloobeck donated $400,000 to the campaign, officials said Monday night.

GoFundMe itself pledged $150,000 to the fundraiser on Twitter.

CORRECTION: Stephen Cloobeck is the founder of Diamond Resorts International. An earlier version of this story misstated his role in the company.

—Blake Montgomery

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Police found 16 guns in the hotel room of the gunman in the Las Vegas shooting

Sixteen guns, including AR-15-style assault rifles and a handgun, were found in the hotel room where the Las Vegas shooter was staying in the days leading up to Sunday night's massacre, authorities said at a press conference.

Officials also found 18 firearms, explosives, and several thousand rounds of ammunition in Paddock's home in Mesquite, Nevada, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said Monday.

The shooter, Stephen Craig Paddock, opened fire from the hotel room where the weapons were located, smashing the glass window on the 32-floor before shooting into a crowd of people at an outdoor music festival across the Las Vegas Strip.

Police said that they are not sure whether all of the weapons were used in the shooting, which went on for about 10 minutes, according to eyewitness accounts.

Police have said that he took his own life before authorities entered the room. —Grace Wyler

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President Trump holds moment of silence on south lawn of White House

WATCH: Pres. Trump, first lady Melania Trump, VP Mike Pence, Karen Pence stand somberly for moment of silence… https://t.co/8tYln11Acu

President Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, his wife, Karen Pence, and White House staffers held a moment of silence on the south lawn of the White House on Monday afternoon for the Las Vegas shooting victims.

The group walked in front of the press, with hands clasped and their heads down low, and stood silently as a bell was rung three times. After a minute, the group walked back inside the White House.

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Sanders: "The president is clear that he's been a strong supporter of the Second Amendment..."

During a White House press briefing, spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said President Trump has been a "strong supporter of the Second Amendment."

"Could you articulate a little bit what his position on gun control is?" the reporter asked.

"The president is clear that he's been a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and I don't have anything further at this point," Sanders responded, quickly moving on to other questions.

And the president has vocally supported the Second Amendment in the past. Speaking to members of the National Rifle Association in April, President Trump said, "The eight-year assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end."

—Talal Ansari

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Paddock allegedly had AR-15-style and AK-47-style rifles

Investigators found AR-15-style and AK-47-style rifles in the hotel room of Stephen Paddock, an anonymous official told the Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper also reported:

Automatic rifles, which meet the legal definition of a machine gun, can fire continuously with one pull of a trigger and are heavily restricted under federal law. Some automatic rifles could have been converted from semiautomatic rifles, which fire one bullet per trigger pull.

Government officials haven't confirmed what style rifles the gunman possessed and used in the massacre.

—Tom Namako

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One hour and 12 minutes reportedly passed between first call to police and entrance into shooter's hotel room

JUST IN: One hour and 12 minutes elapsed between first call to police and breach of Stephen Paddock's hotel room,… https://t.co/Vm2eoy51cC

NBC News is reporting that it took one hour and 12 minutes from the time the first phone call about the shooting was made to police to the moment officers entered the hotel room of Stephen Paddock.

The first phone call to the police was at 10:08 p.m., shortly after the shooting began. But police first had to determine where the shooting was originating from. Once they figured out it was the Mandalay Bay hotel, officers then had to narrow down the floor from which the shooting was originating. As more time elapsed, authorities determined the shooting was from the 32nd floor of the hotel.

A recording of the police radio chatter picked up the moment the police blew the door off Paddock's hotel room at 11:20 p.m.

—Talal Ansari

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Sheriff says death toll has risen to 58 people, with 515 injured

Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo announced that the death toll from Sunday's shooting has risen to 58 individuals, and the number of injured had also gone up to 515.

Speaking at a Monday morning press conference, Lombardo said that he will direct the families of the victims to head to the Las Vegas Convention Center to "assist in reunification" with victims.

Lombardo also give some details about Sunday night's incident. Lombardo said that he believes the shooter used a hammer-type device to break the windows of his room to shoot toward the crowd of approximately 22,000.

Lombardo also said that there would need to be extensive interviews of those injured, who are recovering in five different hospitals in the Las Vegas area, to determine other aspects of the incident, including how many of them were shot as opposed to being injured while trying to flee.

"As this event unfolds, we have determined to this point no connection with an international terror group," a special agent with the FBI also said at the press conference.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman spoke at length. "This is something that was simply outrageous, uncalled for, and so many innocent people, young people, children, parents, who have lost loved ones, and so many still suffering in the hospitals, gone through major surgery," she said.

Goodman did have a request for those listening: "What we ask for is blood. That's the main thing right now. If our people want to do something and they are healthy, please donate blood."

Rep. Dina Titus spoke about the response of first responders and of individuals who came to help those in need during the incident. "That's the kind of people we have here in Las Vegas, who are willing to reach out and help one another," Titus said. "And so I thank all of our law enforcement. I thank the first responders. Those in the hospitals where people are just in the halls in the parking lot, trying to take care of so many," she said.

—Talal Ansari

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Trump calls shooting an "act of pure evil"

Addressing the nation after Sunday night's mass shooting, President Trump called it "an act of pure evil."

"We cannot fathom their pain, we cannot imagine their loss. To the families of the victims, we are praying for you and we are here for you. And we ask God to help see you through this very dark period," Trump said.

The president also thanked first responders for their "true professionalism" and for locating the shooter "so quickly after the first shots were fired."

The president also said he would be visiting the injured and their families in Las Vegas on Wednesday and order that the US flag be flown at half-staff.

"Melania and I are praying for every American who has been hurt, wounded, or lost the ones they loved so dearly in this terrible, terrible attack," Trump said near the conclusion of his remarks. "We pray for the entire nation to find unity and peace, and we pray for the day when evil is banished and the innocent are safe from hatred and from fear."

—Talal Ansari

Official proclamation by President Trump

HONORING THE VICTIMS OF THE TRAGEDY IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Our Nation is heartbroken. We mourn with all whose loved ones were murdered and injured in last night's horrible tragedy in Las Vegas, Nevada. As we grieve, we pray that God may provide comfort and relief to all those suffering.

As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless act of violence perpetrated on October 1, 2017, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, October 6, 2017. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand seventeen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second.

DONALD J. TRUMP

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Giffords calls shooting "a grave tragedy for our nation"

In a just a matter of minutes, one man killed at least 50 people. Another 200 were injured. This is a grave tragedy for our nation.

Former Rep. Gabby Giffords said she is "heartbroken by the scene" in Las Vegas, in a tweet on Monday morning. Giffords was shot in the head during a 2011 mass shooting in Tucson.

"My heart is with the victims, their families and friends, and the law enforcement officers who risked their lives to save others," Giffords wrote in another tweet.

Rep. Steve Scalise, who himself was seriously injured in a shooting in June, said he and his wife are "praying for the victims of this unspeakable violence in Las Vegas."

Scalise returned to Congress last week after being shot during practice for a Republican Congressional baseball team.

—Talal Ansari

Jennifer and I are praying for the victims of this unspeakable violence in Las Vegas.

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Watch President Trump's address live here:

View this video on YouTube

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Orlando Police send touching message of support to Las Vegas colleagues

Orlando Police Department Chief John Mina has issued a statement on the Las Vegas shooting, saying the Orlando community stands with Vegas.

Orlando was the site of a similar mass shooting in 2016 when 49 people were killed at a nightclub.

"We are all thinking of those affected by the horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas. This community, and the men and women of OPD, know all too well the anguish that is gripping residents, visitors, and law enforcement communities in Las Vegas," Mina said.

"We grieve with the people of Las Vegas, and stand firmly with our brothers and sisters in law enforcement who are dealing with this tragedy. Our condolences and prayers go out to all those affected, and we grieve with LVMPD, who lost an off-duty officer who was attending the concert and was shot and killed."

–Alicia Melville-Smith

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Shooter is "believed to have killed himself," officials say

Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said Monday morning that the suspected shooter, identified as Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, is believed to have killed himself prior to law enforcement entering the hotel room from which he allegedly opened fire.

Authorities said Paddock had occupied the room, on the 32nd floor, since September 28, and that officials were still actively going through the results of the room search, which found in "excess of 10 rifles."

"We have no investigative information or background associated with this individual that is derogatory," the sheriff said, beyond "a citation several years ago and that was handled as a matter of normal practice in the court system."

Police also said that Marilou Danley, believed to be a companion to the suspect, is no longer a person of interest. Officials located her out of the country, had a conversation with her, and "believe her not to be involved," the sheriff said.

Police were also serving a search warrant at Paddock's place of residence in Mesquite, Nevada, Monday morning, to clear the home for any possible explosives, according to authorities.

—Cora Lewis

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Department of Homeland Security says there are no credible threats to other venues following Las Vegas shooting

In a statement, the agency said acting Homeland Security secretary Elaine Duke had been briefed on the shooting.

"The department is closely monitoring the situation and working with our federal, state, and local partners in responding to and investigating this tragedy.

"At this time, we have no information to indicate a specific credible threat involving other public venues in the country. However, increased security in and around public places and events may be experienced as officials take additional precautions.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this incident as we work to support the Las Vegas community."

—Alicia Melville-Smith

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Number of people injured in shooting rises again to more than 400

In their latest statement, Las Vegas police have said an estimated 406 people were transported to hospitals following the shooting.

Among the 50 so far confirmed to have been killed is a Las Vegas police officer who was off duty at the music festival. His name has not yet been released. Two other on-duty police officers suffered injuries; one is in a stable condition and the other sustained non-life-threatening wounds.

Police and the Clark County Coroner’s Office have set up a hotline for family or friends to report missing people. The number is (866) 535-5654. A family reunification center has also opened at 400 S. Martin L. King Blvd. in Building B.

—Alicia Melville-Smith

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President Donald Trump has been briefed on the Las Vegas shooting

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has confirmed that Donald Trump was briefed this morning on the shooting in Las Vegas.

"The president has been briefed on the horrific tragedy in Las Vegas. We are monitoring the situation closely and offer our full support to state and local officials. All of those affected are in our thoughts and prayers," Sanders said.

Shortly after he was briefed the president tweeted about Las Vegas.

My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!

—Alicia Melville-Smith

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More than 50 people dead and more than 200 others injured in the Las Vegas concert shooting, sheriff says

LVMPD Sheriff Joseph Lombardo updating the press on the number of people injured in the Las Vegas shooting

Police have confirmed that more than 50 people have died and more than 200 others were injured in the Las Vegas shooting.

Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said that the exact number of people injured is not known at this time.

The sheriff also confirmed that the shooter has been identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock.

"As far as his history and background, we haven't completed that part of the investigation yet. We located numerous firearms within the room that he occupied," Lombardo said.

In addition to the shooter, police were looking to talk to Marilou Danley, who was described as a "person of interest." Police said they believe they have located her at this point.

"Obviously this is a tragic incident, and one that we have never experienced in this valley," Lombardo said.

–Jessica Simeone

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Here are all the hoaxes being spread about the Las Vegas shooting

BuzzFeed News' Ryan Broderick has rounded up all of the false information spreading on social media about the shooting in Las Vegas.

Check it out here.

–Ryan Broderick

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Casino owner says "We're grateful for the immediate actions of our first responders"

In a statement issued via Twitter, MGM Resorts, owner of the Mandalay Bay casino and hotel, said, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of last night's tragic events."

"We're grateful for the immediate actions of our first responders."

The Mandalay Bay, and other hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, remain on lockdown following the shooting.

—Alicia Melville-Smith

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Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval sends condolences to shooting victims

A tragic & heinous act of violence has shaken the #Nevada family. Our prayers are w/ the victims & all affected by this act of cowardice.

Nevada senator Cortez Masto and congresswoman Dina Titus have sent their condolences to the victims.

Here's a statement from Sen. Cortez Masto, one of Nevada's senators.

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Police identified a woman wanted as "person of interest" following the shooting

Police have named Marilou Danley as a "person of interest" in relation to the shooting and are appealing for anyone who has seen her to contact police.

Danley is a local woman and is believed to have been roommates with the shooter.

—Alicia Melville-Smith

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Police confirm at least 20 people are dead following the Las Vegas shooting

View this video on YouTube

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Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has confirmed that at least 20 people died during the festival shooting.

Lombardo added that at least 100 people were injured and the death toll could be higher. At least two officers were injured while responding to the attack, he said. Two other off-duty police officers are believed to be among the deceased.

The shooter killed himself before police entered the room he was in on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Casino. The suspect, who police believe was the sole shooter, had opened fire on concertgoers from the hotel, which is opposite the festival site.

Police have not yet released the name of the shooter but confirmed he was a local man. Lombardo called him a "lone wolf." "Right now we believe he is the sole aggressor," he added.

Police are also looking for a woman of Asian appearance called Marilou Danley, who is believed to have been the shooter's roommate.

Police are also searching for the following vehicles: a Hyundai Tucson 114B40, and a Chrysler Pacifica Touring 19D401.

Hours after the shooting, social media posts showed people continuing to hide out in casinos and hotels along the Las Vegas Strip. While authorities are "pretty sure" that the threat has been eliminated following the shooting, Lombardo said, police are asking people to continue to shelter in place until officers are able to respond at their locations.

—Alicia Melville-Smith & Grace Wyler

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Country music singer Jason Aldean issues statement following shooting

Country music singer Jason Aldean, who was performing when the shooting started, has posted a heartfelt message on his Instagram page.

"Tonight has been beyond horrific. I still don't know what to say but wanted to let everyone know that me and my crew are safe," he said.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved tonight. It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night."

—Alicia Melville-Smith

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Off-duty police officer among those injured in shooting

Bakersfield Police Department has confirmed that several of its officers were attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival off-duty when the shooting began.

In a statement, the department said: "Some of our officers witnessed gunfire but were not in a position to return fire.

"One Bakersfield Police Department officer was struck by a bullet from the active shooter and is being treated at a Las Vegas area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries."

The officers' identities have not been released.

—Alicia Melville-Smith

National media like @abcnews reporting off this press release from @bakersfieldpd. This is a tragic event that hits… https://t.co/V4qrf30FOL

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All flights in and out of local Las Vegas airport were grounded following the shooting

UPDATE: Flights in and out of @LASairport have been temporarily halted in response to reported shooting incident on Las Vegas Strip.

McCarran International Airport announced all flights would be temporarily halted in response to the shooting shortly after 10:30 p.m.

At about 1 a.m. the airport said limited flights had resumed.

The airport is about 2 miles from the Las Vegas Strip.

—Alicia Melville-Smith

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Gunfire appears to be heard in videos posted from the event

Insane.... this JUST happened. #PrayForVegas

Instagram: @rtbleck

Videos posted on social media from the country music festival Route 91 Harvest show the chaos as shooting began during a performance.

In one video, filmed from above and provided to local news channels, a crowd watching Jason Aldean can be seen screaming and running as what sounds like gunfire is heard during the performance.

Police have since confirmed that one suspect is down and they do not believe there are any more shooters.

—Alicia Melville-Smith

New video of gunfire and panic during #route91harvest #LasVegasShooting just into @News3LV

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Two people have died and at least 24 are injured following a shooting in Las Vegas

Police descended on the Las Vegas Strip Sunday night, responding to reports of an active shooter at a music festival near the Mandalay Bay hotel.

Danita Cohen, a spokesperson for the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, said the hospital had received 26 patients so far as a result of the incident. Two of those patients had died, Cohen said, and 12 are in critical condition.

One suspect in the shooting is down, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department tweeted Sunday night, asking people to stay away from the area. Authorities also shut down part of the Strip and a nearby highway, and McCarran International Airport said it had temporarily halted flights as a result of the incident.

Additional details about the incident were not immediately available, but in multiple videos from the scene, a series of loud pops could be heard.

—Jim Dalrymple and Ruby Cramer

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