Islamic State group took responsibility of the mass shooting in Las Vegas
58 people were killed and 515 injured as a gunman in a high-rise hotel opened fire on an outdoor concert on thousands of concertgoers present at the venue on Sunday night.
The gunman was identified as Stephen Paddock, a local resident of 64. He was found dead by officers on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino by the Las Vegas SWAT officers from where he opened fire into the concert, as per sources.
Paddock used an automatic weapon in the attack. He was found with more than 10 rifles, Lombardo said.
The Islamic State group released a statement through its news agency Amaq saying it was behind Sunday night’s mass shooting. However, the police described him as a distressed individual who was not found to be associated with any terrorist activity.
Thousands of concertgoers who had gathered for a three-day music festival raced towards shelter when the gunfire began at 10.08 pm (local time) on Sunday. Singer Jason Aldean was performing on stage.
Police said over 22,000 people were at the concert when Paddock began firing.
The gunman was previously known to local police for past run-ins with law enforcement, according to people familiar with the investigation.
US President Donald Trump called the attack “an act of pure evil” and said he would visit Las Vegas on Wednesday.
“People kept dropping and dropping... People were getting shot one foot away from us,” an eyewitness said. “People were trying to save their friends. There were gunshots everywhere. Helping them would’ve meant that we got shot too.”
-PTC News
