The nation awoke to shocking news as details of of a mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip emerged this morning.
The shooting, which rang out at the Route 91 Harvest Festival — a country music concert, has now been called the deadliest in modern US history after at least 50 lives were lost and over 400 people were injured.
Details + video below…
Vagas was the scene of a deadly shooting last night. At around 10:08 p.m. local time Sunday (1:08 a.m. ET Monday) shots rang out at the Route 91 Harvest Festival — a country music concert — was interrupted by the sound of gunfire, witnesses said.
Country music singer Jason Aldean was performing when several automatic gunshots began to ring out, according to several witnesses’ cell phone videos.
Police said the gunman fired on the crowd of about 22,000 people from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, several hundred feet southwest of the concert grounds.
“The gunshots lasted for 10 to 15 minutes. It didn’t stop,” said eyewitness Rachel de Kerf.
Authorities have identified the shooter as Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old man white male from Mesquite, Nevada.
According to CNN, officers “breached the hotel room” where the shooter, now identified as Stephen Paddock, was located and “found the suspect dead.”
Here’s what we know about Stephen Paddock
? “We believe the individual killed himself prior to our entry,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said at a news conference.
? The shooter had been at the Mandalay Bay hotel since September 28, 2017, the sheriff said. And “there was an excess of 10 rifles in the room.”
? Police entered the suspect’s home in Mesquite a short time ago and will do a slow, methodical search, authorities said.
? Law enforcement has no derogatory information regarding the suspect’s past, besides the fact that he received a citation several years ago that was handled in the court system, police said.
? Police do not believe there were additional shooters.
Singer Jason Aldean, who was onstage prior to the gruesome event, shared the following on instagram:
A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on