Las Vegas shooting: 50 people dead, 200 injured as gunman stormed music festival (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
A gunman opened fire Sunday night at a concert outside a Las Vegas casino hotel, sending people fleeing as SWAT units searched for the attacker and the police investigated reports of shootings elsewhere in the city.
At least 50 people were killed and 200 others injured, hospital officials said.
Reports said that the shooting happened near the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Video posted online showed a musician performing outside the hotel at Route 91 Harvest, a country music festival, interrupted by the sound of automatic gunfire. The music stopped, and concertgoers ducked for cover. “Get down,” one shouted. “Stay down,” screamed another.
Confirming that one suspect is down. This is an active investigation. Again, please do not head down to the Strip at this time.
Twenty-six people were admitted to the hospital, Danita Cohen, a spokeswoman for University Medical Center, told The Associated Press. Of those, at least two died, 12 were in critical condition, and the rest were being evaluated, she said.
In the confusion after the shooting, the police also descended on the Ali Baba Restaurant, about a 10-minute drive from the Mandalay Bay, and they also investigated reports of a shooting at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino.
The police reported clearing out the Mandalay Bay’s 29th floor and working their way up to the 32nd floor. A police Twitter post described reports of an “active shooter” near or around the Mandalay Bay Casino
One officer reported that civilians were “trying to take patrol cars,” but it was unclear why.
Shooting in Las Vegas.
Two concertgoers, Robyn and Matt Webb, described hearing round after round of gunfire.
“It just kept coming,” Robyn Webb told The Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It was relentless.”
They said they saw about 20 people bleeding in the street.
“That’s when we knew for sure it was real,” Matt Webb said.
The police reported closing off about a mile of Las Vegas Boulevard and asked the public to steer clear of the area.
Police radio reports suggested that at least three people were transported to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center for treatment. The police were told not to bring additional casualties — unless the injuries were life-threatening — to University Medical Center, another nearby hospital because it was at capacity.
McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas said that some flights destined for the airport were diverted because of police activity. The airport is just east of the Mandalay hotel, and after the shooting, there were reports of people fleeing the concert by running onto an airport runway.
NYtimes
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