Deadliest Mass Shooting in U.S. History: At Least 58 Dead, Over 515 Injured in Las Vegas after Gunman Opens Fire at Country Concert

Emily Jones : Oct 2, 2017
CBN News

President Trump tweeted about the shooting saying, "My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you."

(Las Vegas, NV)—[CBN News] What started as a country music concert turned into a bloody massacre overnight, and it's now being called the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. (Photo: via ABC News Go)

The shooting happened late Sunday night as 22,000 people gathered to watch country music artist Jason Aldean perform for the Route 91 Harvest Festival concert in the streets outside the Mandalay Bay Casino.

At least 58 people were killed, and Las Vegas police report more than 515 people were injured and taken to area hospitals.

The gunman has been identified as 64-year-old Stephen Craig Paddock of Mesquite, Nevada. He was killed during a confrontation as police raced to confront him on the 32nd floor of that casino.

Multiple units from @LasVegasFD responded to the incident on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip Sunday night.

Witnesses describe the scene as chaotic.

"My friend was like 'I just got hit,'" one witness said. "He got hit three times and people started diving for the ground and it just continued, it was chaotic."

Footage from witnesses on the scene show people falling over each other to get away.

Not easy to watch but have to commend the courage of the people dealing with this situation in Las Vegas.

In videos from the concert, many concertgoers aren't even aware a shooting is taking place as the "pop-pop-pop-pop" of the gun can be heard in the distance. Some say they thought it was fireworks.

"We refused to believe it was a shooting until it kept going and going and then Jason Aldean left the stage and then everyone started fleeing," one witness said.

Concertgoers used their personal vehicles to try and get shooting victims to the hospital. (Photo: via The Independent-UK)

SWAT teams were sent to the resort, clearing out the 29th floor and working their way up.

"Through investigation and response we determined there was a shooter on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay. Officers responded to that location and engaged the suspect at that location," police say.

President Trump tweeted about the shooting saying, "My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you."

Police tracked down Marilou Danley, a woman who officers believe is the suspect's roommate.

Off-duty police officers who were at the concert are among the dead. Two more officers were also hurt.

An ISIS propaganda video targeting Las Vegas was released in May—but as the investigation began, police said they didn't believe this was an act of terrorism. Still, no one could say what was behind this deadly mass shooting.