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As it happenedended

Las Vegas shooting: Stephen Paddock set up cameras around hotel room while girlfriend is 'person of interest' - as it happened

Lucy Pasha-Robinson
Las Vegas
,Clark Mindock,Jeremy B. White
Monday 02 October 2017 03:26 EDT
Comments
Las Vegas shooting: What we know so far

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At least 59 people were killed and 527 injured when a gunman rained bullets on crowds at a Las Vegas music festival.

A day on from the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, police are desperately seeking to understand what drove Stephen Paddock to discharge "clip after clip" into the 22,000 revellers at the Route 91 Harvest festival.

The 64-year-old "lone wolf" attacker, equipped with at least 23 weapons and two tripods, fired rifles out of two different windows from his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel before killing himself as police stormed his hideout.

Another 19 guns were found at a property occupied by Paddock about 80 miles away in Mesquite, Nevada.

Officials said he had altered those legally purchased weapons to operate on automatic before he began his deadly spree at around 10:08pm on Sunday.

Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said he was unable to speculate as to his motive, saying: "I can't get into the mind of a psychopath."

Authorities believe Paddock acted alone and dismissed suggestions he had any links to international terror, despite claims from Isis's news agency Amaq that he converted to Islam months before the shooting.

Video posted on social media appeared to show the moment the gunfire broke out as country star Jason Aldean performed, sparking mass chaos and scattering the crowd.

The massacre has reignited an outpouring of anger over the nation's lax gun ownership laws, which are protected by the second amendment.

As the nation was left reeling from the massacre, carried out in one of the world’s most iconic cities, Donald Trump sought to offer solace and condolence, first on Twitter and later in a sombre, televised address.

“In moments of tragedy and horror, America comes together as one. And it always has,” he said

Speaking on Tuesday morning, the President described the killer as a "sick, demented man".

In February, Mr Trump signed a resolution blocking an Obama-era rule that would have prevented an estimated 75,000 people with mental disorders from buying guns.

The rule was part of former President Barack Obama's push to strengthen the federal background check system following the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut shooting – the deadliest school shooting in US history.

Steve Anderson3 October 2017 10:49

The country music star who was on stage when Stephen Paddock opened fire has issued a message of unity 24 hours on from the deadly massacre. 

Jason Aldean wrote on Instagram: "Over the last 24 hrs I have gone through lots of emotions. Scared, Anger, Heartache, Compassion and many others.

"I truly don't understand why a person would want to take the life of another. Something has changed in this country and in this world lately that is scary to see.

"This world is becoming the kind of place I am afraid to raise my children in. At the end of the day we aren't Democrats or Republicans, Whites or Blacks, Men or Women. We are all humans and we are all Americans and its time to start acting like it and stand together as ONE!

"That is the only way we will ever get this Country to be better than it has ever been, but we have a long way to go and we have to start now. My heart aches for the victims and their families of this senseless act.

"I am so sorry for the hurt and pain everyone is feeling right now and there are no words I can say to to take that pain away. Just know you all are in my heart and my prayers as we all go through this together. Time to come together and stop the hate!"

Steve Anderson3 October 2017 10:59
Steve Anderson3 October 2017 11:04

Residents of the retirement community in Mesquite, Nevada, where Stephen Paddock lived, have expressed their shock at discovering the identity of the Las Vegas mass murderer: 

Steve Anderson3 October 2017 11:11
Steve Anderson3 October 2017 11:15

Prime Minister Theresa May has said she does not believe there were any British casualties in the Las Vegas shooting but believes there were Britons who had likely witnessed the "appalling attack". 

"The latest I heard is that we don't yet know of any British casualties, although I think there were British people in the area, some of whom did manage to flee and weren't casualties," she told LBC radio. 

"We also know there were some British troops nearby who went in to help.

"The Foreign Office is continuing to work with the Las Vegas authorities to ensure that we know definitely.

"At the moment, I don't believe there were any British casualties, but there were certainly British people in the area who will have witnessed what was absolutely an appalling attack, completely senseless, random attack, by an individual who I understand had quite an arsenal of weapons in the hotel room."

Steve Anderson3 October 2017 11:26
Steve Anderson3 October 2017 11:31

Stephen Paddock's brother Eric has expressed his shock at learning the 64-year-old was responsible for the worst mass shooting in US history: 

Steve Anderson3 October 2017 11:38
Steve Anderson3 October 2017 11:51
Steve Anderson3 October 2017 12:03

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