LAS VEGAS — Nearly sixty people have died from gunshot wounds and at least another 527 are injured after an early morning shooting at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to a new release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
LVMPD Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters that police responded to reports of shots being fired from the Mandalay Bay towards the concert.
“We determined there was a shooter on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay,” Lombardo said. Officers engaged the suspect, whom Lombardo described as a “local resident.” He said that the shooter, identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
First photo released of the Las Vegas shooter, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock; he was found dead in Mandalay Bay hotel room he fired shots from pic.twitter.com/hr6O5UApHf
— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 2, 2017
It’s too early to give an accurate estimate of the number of the dead and wounded, but two off-duty Bakersfield Police Department officers were among them. They were attending the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival.
At this time there is in excess of 50 deceased and over 200 injured individuals.
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 2, 2017
Confirming that one suspect is down. This is an active investigation. Again, please do not head down to the Strip at this time.
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 2, 2017
At this time we do not believe there are any more shooters. More information to come shortly from @Sheriff_LVMPD.
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 2, 2017
Briefing with @Sheriff_LVMPD regarding the Strip shooting. At least 20 dead, 100 injured. The shooter was local. pic.twitter.com/CzxRl9Oagw
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 2, 2017
We’re searching for two vehicles associated with the shooter: Hyundai Tucson Nevada/114B40 and a Chrysler Pacifica Nevada/79D401. https://t.co/pVyGvN7ZqV
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 2, 2017
Police believe they have found a woman named Marilou Danley who was traveling with the suspect, Lombardo said.
We have located the vehicles in question, and we are confident we have located the female person of interest.
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 2, 2017
Eyewitness Bryan Heifner spoke to CNN from a room in a hotel across from the Mandalay Bay, which he said he could see from his window.
“Mostly I heard the shots, just so many shots — I just thought it was a semi braking with the air brakes, but then I went downstairs and saw people running and looking for family,” he said.
“I immediately went back to my room, locked the door, turned the lights off.”
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01 People run from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after apparent gun fire was heard on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. There are reports of an active shooter around the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) 
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01: People tend to the wounded outside the Route 91 Harvest Country music festival grounds after an apparent shooting on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. There are reports of an active shooter around the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) 
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 02: Police and rescue personnel gather at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Ave. after a reported mass shooting at a country music festival on October 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A gunman has opened fire on a music festival in Las Vegas, leaving at least 2 people dead. Police have confirmed that one suspect has been shot. The investigation is ongoing. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) 
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01: (EDITORS NOTE: Image contains graphic content.) People carry a peson at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after apparent gun fire was heard on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. There are reports of an active shooter around the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) 
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01: People run for cover at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after apparent gun fire was heard on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. There are reports of an active shooter around the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) 
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01: A crowd of people at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after apparent gun fire was heard on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. There are reports of an active shooter around the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) 
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01: Las Vegas police stand guard along the streets outside the Route 91 Harvest country music festival grounds after an active shooter was reported on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. There are reports of an active shooter around the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) 
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01: People flee the Route 91 Harvest country music festival grounds after a active shooter was reported on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A gunman has opened fire on a music festival in Las Vegas, leaving at least 2 people dead. Police have confirmed that one suspect has been shot. The investigation is ongoing. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) 
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 02: A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer stands in the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Ave. after a mass shooting at a country music festival nearby on October 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A gunman has opened fire on a music festival in Las Vegas, killing over 20 people. Police have confirmed that one suspect has been shot dead. The investigation is ongoing. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Concertgoers describe shooting
CNN spoke to three people who were attending the concert at the Las Vegas Village outdoor arena when gunfire broke out, causing them to flee. They described hearing the sound of gunfire while Jason Aldean was performing.
“We were close to the stages — about six rows from the front on the left-hand side and he was just performing,” Rachel Derkef said.
“People went down on the Mandalay side of the stage,” Joe Pitzel said. “I don’t know if people were ducking or if people were hit.”
Derkef filmed her escape from the venue using her cell phone, starting just after the first shots were fired.
She described ongoing gunfire and played out the video she had recorded during which more than five minutes of gunfire were intermittently audible.
“The gunshots lasted for 10-15 minutes. It didn’t stop,” she said. “We just ran for our lives.”
‘Go, go, go, go’
Derkef’s sister, Monique Dumas, said that everyone instantly crouched when they heard the shots.
“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,” Dumas said.
“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,” she said.
A concertgoer told CNN affiliate KLAS that everybody was lying on top of each other trying to get out of the shooter’s way.
“Everybody’s hiding everywhere, they’re hiding under the bleachers and the stanchions, anywhere they could and everyone is telling us to ‘run, run as fast as you can,'” she told the news station. “And my husband and I ran out toward our car and there were people hiding underneath my car for cover and there was a gentleman who was shot and he said, ‘can you help me?’ and so I put him in my car and I had like six people in my car, people without shoes, running, just to get away.”
‘Sounded like firecrackers’
Eyewitness Bryan Heifner spoke to CNN from a room in a hotel across from the Mandalay Bay, which he said he could see from his window.
“Mostly I heard the shots, just so many shots — I just thought it was a semi braking with the air brakes, but then I went downstairs and saw people running and looking for family,” he said.
“I immediately went back to my room, locked the door, turned the lights off.”
Another witness told CNN affiliate KSNV that the shooting sounded like firecrackers at first.
“It didn’t sound normal, it sounded like machine guns and it was like several rounds, it was like hundreds of rounds,” she told the news station.
“My boyfriend had me move behind a building here because it just didn’t sound right,” she told KSNV. “And then we hid behind a building and we could just hear hundreds of rounds going off and then about 10 minutes later the police came and just blocked off all the streets.”
She said she was about a block from the Harvest 91 Festival.
The Mayor of Las Vegas tweeted: “Pray for Las Vegas. Thank you to all our first responders out there now.”
Pray for Las Vegas. Thank you to all our first responders out there now.
— Carolyn G. Goodman (@mayoroflasvegas) October 2, 2017
#NC man in Las Vegas during mass shooting sharing this video with me and talking live right now on #myfox8 about what he witnessed pic.twitter.com/VqPJzD7rzs
— Lori Denberg (@LDENBERG) October 2, 2017
Wow.. Yall join me in praying for Vegas rn
— Scotty McCreery (@ScottyMcCreery) October 2, 2017
Hearts out to Vegas. Route 91 concert, stage I played two nights ago. Musicians, fans, workers, you are all in our prayers right now..
— Lee Brice (@leebrice) October 2, 2017
Active shooter at @Route91Harvest in Vegas. We're safe. Love you guys.
— Luke Combs 🎤 (@lukecombs) October 2, 2017
Watching this horrific news from Las Vegas and Route 91 Festival. We played this festival last year. Praying for everyone's safety.
— Martina McBride (@martinamcbride) October 2, 2017
My God I can't even believe what I'm watching at Route 91
— Jackie (@JackieLeeMusic) October 2, 2017
I’m safe at #mandalaybay I was sitting outside when the windows above my head exploded and rounds of gunfire started unloading. @FoxNews
— Lucas Bruch (@lucasbruch) October 2, 2017
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