Gun man kills more than 50 in Las Vegas Strip massacre

At least 50 were shot dead and more than 200 injured in America's deadliest mass shooting in history when a gunman on a high floor of a Las Vegas hotel rained a rapid-fire barrage on a huge outdoor concert festival on Sunday night, sending thousands of terrified survivors fleeing for cover.

Online video of the attack near the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino showed the singer Jason Aldean performing outside at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, a three-day country music event, interrupted by the sound of automatic gunfire. The music stopped, and as victims fell, bleeding, concertgoers screamed, ducked for cover, or ran.

“Get down,” one shouted. “Stay down,” screamed another.

“Currently the Clark County Fire Department is estimating the injuries to be well over 400” Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said on Monday morning. 

One of those killed was an off-duty Las Vegas police officer, the department said.

The gunman, identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, fired on revellers from a room on the 32nd floor of the nearby Mandalay Bay Hotel at around 10pm on Sunday local time, said Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Joseph Lombardo.

Stephen Paddock, was killed by police. Guns were found in his room.

A motive is yet to be determined, although police don't believe he is a member of any militant group.

We have no idea what his belief system was," Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said. "Right now, we believe he was the sole aggressor.

Police aid they found his "associate" Marilou Danley, 62, who was wanted as a person of interest but wouldn't say what her involvement was. She reportedly lived with Paddock in Nevada.

Witnesses reported seeing people fall dead in front of them as they ran for their lives.

People started screaming that they were hit and to get down and then about every 20 seconds after that you would hear a round of machine guns and people just dropping, I mean hundreds of bodies all over the ground,"Megan Kearney told NBC.

American country singer Jason Aldean was performing on stage when rapid fire rang out.

US President Donald Trump tweeted his sympathies to Las Vegas shooting victims and their families.

My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2017

Former US president, Barack Obama also took to Twitter to express sympathy with the victims of the attack.

Michelle & I are praying for the victims in Las Vegas. Our thoughts are with their families & everyone enduring another senseless tragedy.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 2, 2017