59 dead, 527 injured after shooting at Las Vegas concert; suspected shooter identified

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.”

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

View this post on Instagram

Tonight has been beyond horrific. I still dont know what to say but wanted to let everyone know that Me and my Crew are safe. 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. #heartbroken #stopthehate

A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on Oct 2, 2017 at 1:17am PDT

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