A gunman killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 200 at a country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday, raining down rapid fire from the 32nd floor of a hotel for several minutes before he was shot dead by police.
The death toll, which police emphasized was preliminary and tentative, would make the attack the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, eclipsing last year's massacre of 49 people at an Orlando night club.
Police identified the gunman as area resident Stephen Paddock, 64, but said they had no information yet about his motive. He was not believed to be connected to any militant group, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters. But authorities were seeking an Asian female who police described as a companion of the suspect, he said.
They said that rumours of other shootings in the area were false.
Witnesses on social media said the shooting broke out on the last night of the three-day Route 91 Harvest festival, a sold-out event attended by thousands and featuring top acts such as Eric Church, Sam Hunt and Jason Aldean.
Police had earlier said they were investigating reports of an active shooter near the Mandalay Bay Casino.
Videos on social media showed hundreds of people fleeing from the scene. The sound of what appears to be automatic gunfire can be heard in some clips.
People react at gunshots heard at music festival in Las Vegas
Live footage from the scene showed a heavily armed police presence.
Witnesses heard numerous gunshots at the hotel, where police tactical teams were searching for the attacker, according to reports on CNN and in the New York Times.
Meanwhile, flights at Mccarran International Airport were temporarily halted after the reported shooting.
The death toll, which police emphasized was preliminary and tentative, would make the attack the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, eclipsing last year's massacre of 49 people at an Orlando night club.
Police identified the gunman as area resident Stephen Paddock, 64, but said they had no information yet about his motive. He was not believed to be connected to any militant group, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters. But authorities were seeking an Asian female who police described as a companion of the suspect, he said.
They said that rumours of other shootings in the area were false.
Witnesses on social media said the shooting broke out on the last night of the three-day Route 91 Harvest festival, a sold-out event attended by thousands and featuring top acts such as Eric Church, Sam Hunt and Jason Aldean.
Police had earlier said they were investigating reports of an active shooter near the Mandalay Bay Casino.
Videos on social media showed hundreds of people fleeing from the scene. The sound of what appears to be automatic gunfire can be heard in some clips.
People react at gunshots heard at music festival in Las Vegas
Live footage from the scene showed a heavily armed police presence.
Witnesses heard numerous gunshots at the hotel, where police tactical teams were searching for the attacker, according to reports on CNN and in the New York Times.
Meanwhile, flights at Mccarran International Airport were temporarily halted after the reported shooting.
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