Sunday night at the Route 91 Harvest Festival 2017, two unknown shooters began gunning down police officers and at least one bodyguard from what appeared to be the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.
The country music festival was just concluding for the weekend, with the last performer, Jason Aldean, wrapping up his performance for a sold-out crowd of 12,000 people.
Twitter was the first place information began to emerge on the shooters and what was happening:
— kenny terhune jr (@kenny_terhune) October 2, 2017
My sister in law just texted me this. They are staying at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Vegas where there was just an active shooter. pic.twitter.com/ldkWUo1NdJ
— Brittany Michelle (@britmgarcia) October 2, 2017
Per police scanner: Multiple casualties, officer shot in neck possibly another officer dead. #MandalayBay
— jordan ghoul 👻☠️🎃 (@JordanUhl) October 2, 2017
There was footage from nearby:
Shooting in Las Vegas. People fleeing (video from the Mandalay Bay hotel) pic.twitter.com/hs98J5uK6T
— Eiki Hrafnsson (@EirikurH) October 2, 2017
And it appears the police scanner was confirming that at least one officer had been hit:
🚨Active shooter🚨
Shots fired at Mandalay Bay
Reports one officer has been shot#LasVegas#MandalayBayShooting pic.twitter.com/TUHeekdn7t— DeDeKim (@ZDeDeKim) October 2, 2017
The following video clip contains audio of what is clearly an automatic weapon, so sensitive readers please be warned.
Active shooter Las Vegas strip I’m ok locked in my room lights off windows closed. Shooter is directly across the street. Shots heard on vid pic.twitter.com/Z4mz3E3bmE
— Bryan Heifner (@HBryanBHHS) October 2, 2017
News 3 Las Vegas has a crew on the way to the scene and we are awaiting further information. We will update as it becomes available.
UPDATE, 12:24 AM PST
Police are now confirming that 2 are dead, 24 injured, 12 in critical condition.
One shooter is “down” according to Las Vegas Police
Confirming that one suspect is down. This is an active investigation. Again, please do not head down to the Strip at this time.
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 2, 2017
The identity of the shooter who is down has not been released.
Reports are also coming in of a “suspicious device” nearby as well.
UPDATE, 12:34 AM PST
University Medical Center is the “Level One” response center for this situation; it appears to be full at this time. Sunset Medical Center is the “Level Two.”
Flights in and out of McCarran Airport have been grounded, and Interstate 15 is locked down. All guests in every hotel on the Las Vegas strip are being instructed to shelter in place.
UPDATE, 12:44 AM PST
At this time we do not believe there are any more shooters. More information to come shortly from @Sheriff_LVMPD.
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 2, 2017
We will update with any new information from LVMPD.
UPDATE, 1:59 AM PST
The Las Vegas Sheriff has just given a press conference to news crews on the scene. Information so far indicates a “sole actor” who is a local resident.
Police confirmed the shooter was on the 32nd floor of the hotel. He is now dead. The shooter was a local resident of the Las Vegas area, and police are searching for another person of interest. She is an Asian woman, 4′-11″, 111 lbs, named Marilou Danley, also a local resident.
Police are searching for two vehicles, both of unknown color: A Hyundai Tucson, license plate 114-B40, and a Chrysler Pacifica Touring, license plate 19D401.
The Sheriff indicated that over 100 people are injured, and more than 20 people have now died.
There are no known ties to terrorism at this time.
Several off-duty police officers from nearby Bakersfield, California were in attendance at the concert, at least one of whom was shot.
The woman being searched for has allegedly been identified on Twitter:
.@LVMPD are searching for the shooters companion, please share👇 pic.twitter.com/EZXuSrCS0l
— Rogue CPI (@RogueCPI) October 2, 2017
The LV Sheriff has confirmed via Twitter that the image is of her, which makes this her Facebook page.
Any new information will be updated in the morning.
UPDATE, 7:07 AM PST
The now-deceased shooter has been identified as 64-year-old Stephen Craig Paddock of Mesquite, Nevada. Paddock took his own life before police could reach him. Still no known ties to terrorist groups. The following picture was recovered from Marilou Danley’s Facebook page:
At least 50 people were killed and more than 400 wounded. This is the deadliest mass shooting in American history. Police found 10 or more weapons inside Paddock’s hotel room at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino.
Gun laws in Nevada are among the most relaxed in the nation. Open carry is legal without a permit, silencers are legal, there is no waiting period to purchase a firearm, private gun sales are unregulated, it is legal to carry an assault rifle, and there is no magazine capacity limit.
Paddock’s brother, Eric, told NBC News that the family was “dumbfounded” by the act.
We will continue to update with any pertinent information.
Featured image via archive
