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‘America is a Nation in Mourning’, Trump Says in Las Vegas

The gunman, identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, killed himself after the attack.

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At least 59 people were killed in Las Vegas after a gunman opened fire at an outdoor concert crowd in the Mandalay Bay Casino area. The attack, touted to be one of the deadliest mass shootings in the US, also left more than 400 people injured. The gunman, identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, killed himself before security forces could enter his hotel room.

Catch live updates on The Quint.

Snapshot
  • At least 59 people were killed and over 400 injured after a gunman opened fire at a concert crowd in Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Casino Area
  • The gunman, identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, killed himself following the attack
  • The attack has drawn wide condemnation, with POTUS Donald Trump calling it an “act of pure evil”
  • ISIS had claimed responsibility for the attack, but US officials said there was no evidence that the shooter was tied to any international militant group
  • The police said the gunman meticulously planned the event, spent decades acquiring weapons and lived a secret life
8:56 AM , 05 Oct

Trump Visits Las Vegas, Says America is 'a Nation in Mourning'

A somber President Donald Trump visited Las Vegas on Wednesday to express the sorrow and shock felt by a nation reeling from the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, telling those whose loved ones died, "You're not alone."

Sunday night's attack by a gunman "fills America’s heart with grief," Trump said. "America is truly a nation in mourning."

Trump's remarks came at the end of a visit to the city during which the president and first lady Melania Trump met with survivors of the shooting spree, doctors, law enforcement officers and other first responders.

Speaking at the Las Vegas Police Department's command center, Trump addressed those grieving over the loss of loved ones in the attack.

We know that your sorrow feels endless. We stand together to help you carry your pain. You’re not alone. We will never leave your side.
Donald Trump

At a hospital, however, Trump deflected a question about whether the United States has a problem with gun violence.

"We're not going to talk about that today," he said.

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8:33 AM , 05 Oct

Shooter Spent Decades Acquiring Weapons, Lived Secret Life

The gunman responsible for the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history meticulously planned the event and spent decades acquiring weapons, while he lived a secret life, Las Vegas police said on Wednesday.

Clark County sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters that he found it hard to believe that the arsenal of weapons, ammunition and explosives recovered by police in their investigation could have been assembled by Paddock completely on his own.

"You have to make an assumption that he had some help at some point," Lombardo said at a news briefing. Lombardo said the attack was the obvious outcome of meticulous planning.

What we know is that Stephen Paddock is a man who spent decades acquiring weapons and ammo and living a secret life, much of which will never be fully understood.
Joseph Lombardo, sheriff

Police also said that 317 of the 489 people injured in the Las Vegas shooting have been discharged from hospitals.

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5:12 AM , 05 Oct

Paddok a "Caring, Quiet Man": Girlfriend

In her statement, Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock’s girlfriend Marilou Danley said she had no idea about Paddock’s plans. She also described him as a “caring, quiet man.”

3:05 AM , 05 Oct

Stephen Paddok's Girlfriend Questioned

The FBI questioned the girlfriend of the gunman who slaughtered 59 concertgoers in Las Vegas, hoping to discover what motivated Stephen Paddock to open fire on a country music festival in the deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S. history.

Marilou Danley, who returned to the United States late on Tuesday, is a "person of interest" in the investigation, Las Vegas police have said. Her relatives in the Philippines told reporters she had a "clean conscience" and no prior knowledge of the attack.

Paddock’s brother Eric told reporters the $100,000 transfer was evidence that “Steve took care of the people he loved,” and that he likely wanted to protect Danley by sending her overseas before the attack.

"He manipulated her to be completely as far away from this and safe when he did this," Eric Paddock said on Tuesday.

She arrived in Manila on Sept. 15, flew to Hong Kong on Sept. 22 and returned to Manila on Sept. 25. She was there until she flew to Los Angeles on Tuesday night, according to a Philippine immigration official.

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Published: 02 Oct 2017, 11:46 AM IST
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