Las Vegas massacre : 50 killed, more than 200 injured ; gunman shot dead, Asian woman companion on scanner
Police released the updated death toll that kept jumping every hour after the horrific incident at the annual music festival where thousands of people gathered..
While initial reports put the death toll at 20, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police tweeted later that at least 50 were dead.
Police said the suspect, a local resident, was killed after a SWAT team burst into the 32nd floor of the hotel from where he was firing at the crowd below.
According to reports, the suspect has been identified as Stephen Paddock.
Paddock, 64, is from Mesquite, about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas and had been known to local law enforcement.
The shooting is not believed to be connected to terrorism, NBC News has reported.
“Right now we believe it’s a solo act, a lone wolf attacker,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Joe Lombardo said.
“We are pretty confident there is no longer a threat.”
Authorities said the gunman appeared to have begun firing at 10:08 p.m. local time from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel toward the concert venue across the street.
The Los Anegeles Times quoted the Sheriff as saying that police are seeking to interview a woman, identified as Marilou Danley, who is described as the suspect's "companion."
She was described as an Asian woman, about 4’11” in height.
“We have not located her at this time, and we are interested in talking to her for a follow-up,” Lombardo said.
Two of the dead are said to be a pair of off-duty police officers who were attending the concert, Lombardo said.
Video posted on social media showed the open-air concert fully underway when bursts of automatic gunfire rang out.
Dozens of concertgoers dropped to the ground, screaming, while others ran for safety.
The shooting went on for about more than 30 seconds before the music stopped, and another burst was heard later.
The attack came during the last performances on the final night of the three-day country music festival on an 15-acre lot across Las Vegas Boulevard from Mandalay Bay.
Following the deadly incident, all planes were temporarily grounded at the Las Vegas airport. However, flights resumed after some time.
Parts of I-15 near the Strip were also shut down, and hotel guests across the strip were being ordered to shelter in place.
The freeway reopened later, but offramps near the strip remained closed through much of the night.
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