Yesterday, Sunday, October 1st, a gunman opened fire at the Route 91 Harvest music festival. At 10:08 pm, the gunman began firing his weapon into a crowd as popular singer Jason Aldean performed. Witnesses claimed that they heard “between 200-300” bullets being fired into the unsuspecting crowd. 500 people were injured in both the shooting and the stampede that followed. 59 people have been confirmed dead.
The gunman has been identified as 64 year-old Stephen Paddock, who fired into the crowd from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel. Following the shooting, he ended his own life. Based on the audio of the event, authorities believe he was firing a military-grade assault weapon. Upon entering his hotel room, police found at least 10 assault weapons.
Paddock’s motive still remains unknown.
Our thoughts at Muhlenberg Her Campus go out to the victims of this attack and their families.
**This article has been edited to reflect more current information**
Sources: http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/02/us/las-vegas-shooter/index.html