David Becker, Getty Images
Update: Suspect has been identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock. The death toll has risen to more than 50 people. This is a developing story.
At least twenty people are dead and more than 100 others injured after shots rung out during Jason Aldean‘s headlining performance at the 2017 Route 91 Festival in Las Vegas early Monday morning (Oct. 2).
CNN reports that there was a single shooter, who was killed by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police. It is believed the gunman was positioned in a hotel room, shooting a high-powered weapon from above the crowd. The Route 91 Festival was taking place outside Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino at Las Vegas Village outdoor arena this weekend. Off-duty police officers are reportedly among the dead.
Witnesses reported hearing hundreds of shots — concertgoers initially believed they were hearing fireworks because the gunfire was happening so quickly.
“The band was rushed off the stage, the floodlights came on the crowd, and you see on the right hand of the stage the person who was injured, so they’re calling for medics, calling for security, then there was gunfire again,” reports Monique Dumas, a Route 91 Festival attendee. “It seemed there was a pause in the gunfire and the people in the yellow shirts were telling the people to ‘go, go, go, go’ … the gunfire never ended, it seemed like it went on and on and on.”
“We heard what sounded like firecrackers going off,” another attendee, Meghan Kearney, tells MSNBC. “Then all of a sudden we heard what sounded like a machine gun. People started screaming that they were hit … When we started running out there were probably a couple hundred [people] on the ground.”
Aldean was onstage when the shooting occurred, but was unharmed. “Tonight has been beyond horrific. I still don’t know what to say but wanted to let everyone know that me and my crew are safe,” he writes on social media. “My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved tonight. It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night.”
This is a developing story — police urge anyone with video footage or photos from the event to get in contact with them.
Sunday night’s Route 91 Festival lineup also included Jake Owen, Big & Rich and Kane Brown, among others. Owen tweeted as the massacre was unfolding, praying for fans and writing a message to his daughter:
Gun shots!!! Vegas. Pray to god. Love you guys. Love you Pearl.
— Jake Owen (@jakeowen) October 2, 2017
Praying for everyone here in Vegas. I witnessed the most unimaginable event tonight. We are okay. Others arent. Please pray.
— Jake Owen (@jakeowen) October 2, 2017
Gun shots were ringing off of the stage rigging and road cases. No one knew where to go..thank you LVPD and responders for keeping us safe
— Jake Owen (@jakeowen) October 2, 2017
The mayor of Las Vegas also requested prayers in the early morning hours on Monday:
Pray for Las Vegas. Thank you to all our first responders out there now.
— Carolyn G. Goodman (@mayoroflasvegas) October 2, 2017
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