At least 59 people were killed and 525 injured after a deadly shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas, the worst mass shooting in modern American history.
The suspected gunman, identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock from Mesquite, Nevada, rained bullets down from the 32nd floor of a flashy Vegas hotel onto a 22,000-strong crowd.
Police said 23 guns were found in Paddock’s hotel room and another 19 firearms, some explosives and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found at his home, located 145 km northeast of Las Vegas. Some of the shooter’s firearms had been modified into machine-gun-like weapons.
Law enforcement authorities have found ammonium nitrate in the shooter’s car. The compound is a fertilizer but can also be used in the making of explosives.
Police have seized some “electronic devices” for evaluation and have obtained a warrant to search a second house also connected to Paddock, located more than 644 km northwest of Las Vegas.
Paddock’s firearms have been associated with Guns & Guitars shop in Mesquite, where he was from.
Chris Sullivan, the owner of the gun shop, is cooperating with investigators and has confirmed the shooter was a customer. Sullivan said Paddock cleared “all necessary background checks and procedures”.
“He never gave any indication or reason to believe he was unstable or unfit at any time,” Sullivan told.
US President Donald Trump made a speech following the fatal attack in which he called it “an act of pure evil”.
The White House also made a statement on Monday saying it was too soon after the attack to consider gun control policies.
Eyewitnesses have described their terror as crowds, including children, stampeded while running for their lives.
“It seemed like people were hit everywhere,” according to Steve Smith, a 45-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona.
Smith and other witnesses said that they thought the gunshots were fireworks before realising the source of the noise.
“People were just dropping to the ground. It just kept going on.
“Probably 100 shots at a time. It would sound like it was reloading and then it would go again,” he continued
Many were injured from being stomped on as fellow concertgoers attempted to escape. Other injuries include gunfire and shrapnel wounds. At least a dozen people are in critical condition at University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where most seriously injured victims were taken.
Police said that the shooter, who killed himself before they reached him, acted alone.
The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the massacre, but U.S. officials said there was no evidence to support the claim
Officers have located Paddock’s housemate Marilou Danley, in Tokyo. She was previously named a person of interest, but they now say she is not thought to be connected to the case. However, investigators still want to interview her to clarify the case.
Witnesses have said that shots were fired at approximately 22.08 (05.08 GMT) during the performance of American country singer Jason Aldean.
It was the third and last night of the Route 91 Harvest festival. The stage was set up outside the Mandalay Bay resort. The event was sold-out and also featured country singers Eric Church and Sam Hunt.
Video clips posted online showed what sounded like automatic weapons as panicked concertgoers fled, dropped to the ground screaming.