Las Vegas Shooting the Worst in US History

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Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017 | Written by Charles Washington

On Sunday, October 1st, Las Vegas suffered the worst mass shooting incident ever to take place on US soil, after Stephen Paddock killed 58 people, and injured more than 527 others. The previous worst incident happened only last June after 49 people were killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and commenting upon the latest horrific incident, President Donald Trump labelled the 64 year-old gunman as “a sick man, a demented man”.

The Attack

At 10:08 pm local time, a country music concert known as the Route 91 Harvest festival was taking place on Las Vegas Boulevard, with around 22,000 people turning out on its third and final day. During the performance of Jason Aldean, the music was subsequently interrupted by the sound of gunfire coming from the direction of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino situated a few hundred feet southwest of the open air concert. According to witnesses, the gunfire then continued incessantly for between 5 and 10 minutes before ending.

During the widespread panic which ensued, people ran and sought refuge by climbing fences, or taking cover beneath the music stage or under parked cars, while some people were trampled as the crowd raced from the scene. Describing the terrifying experience, an eye-witness explains:

“When I realized it was real I got down, and when he was reloading I ran. Everyone was running for their lives. I stepped over a guy with blood pouring out of his head. He was dead. Gone. I saw maybe 15 others like that before I got out.”

Demented Gunman

Stephen Paddock had checked into the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino three days before launching his crazed attack from his hotel room on the 32nd-floor. Armed with more than two dozen weapons, including semi-automatic rifles, the “lone wolf” gunman then broke the window before unloading bullets on the crowd below. After the police managed to reach his hotel room, Paddock shot through the door of his suite, hitting a security guard in the leg, before Swat officers broke down the door to find Paddock had already committed suicide by shooting himself.

Search

A search of Paddock’s house in Mesquite has since uncovered a further 19 firearms, and explosives, as well as “some electronic devices” that local Clark County sheriff, Joseph Lombardo, said are currently being evaluated. Paddock was apparently a customer at the Guns & Guitars gun shop in Mesquite, and according to shop owner Chris Sullivan, Paddock passed “all necessary background checks and procedures,” and “never gave any indication or reason to believe he was unstable or unfit at any time.”

Motive for Murder

No motive has yet been established for the massacre, although Isil has claimed Stephen Paddock converted to Islam a few months earlier. Nevertheless, the FBI has said that they had no evidence linking Paddock to a terrorist group. Another motive has been suggested that Paddock was a disgruntled punter who had made “several large gambling transactions in recent weeks” and amassed significant gambling debts, but his brother Eric has shed doubt on the theory, stating that Stephen Paddock was a wealthy real-estate investor. Interestingly, their father was a violent bank robber who at one stage was listed on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list.

Commenting upon the massacre carried out by his brother, Eric Paddock stated: “We have no idea. We’re horrified. We’re bewildered and our condolences go out to the victims.”

Helping the Victims

A nation-wide campaign to support victims of the shooting is currently underway, with options in which to help including through monetary contributions, and donating blood. The telephone numbers of support groups and hotlines are also listed on this website, with a link to the Las Vegas Grief and Loss Counseling Center found here.

Worst Mass Shooting in USA

The incident which resulted in 58 deaths and more than 527 injuries is the worst in the country’s history, although one just has to turn the clock back just over a year for the previous worst incident involving Omar Mateen, 29, who killed 49 people and wounded more than 58 at a Florida night club. Other top 5 mass shooting incidents to take place in the US includes 33 people killed at the Virginia Tech campus in 2007 by 23 year-old Seung-Hui Cho; 28 people killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 by 20 year-old Adam Lanza; and 24 people killed at Luby’s Cafeteria in 1991 by 35-year-old George Hennard.