The Las Vegas mass shooting is the deadliest in U.S. history. Perched high on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, Stephen Paddock opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival where thousands had gathered for the three-day outdoor country music concert. 59 people were killed, and more than 500 were injured as he went on a rampage for motives that are still not clear to the police. Among the victims were two off-duty police officers.
In the midst of the chaos and confusion of Sunday's tragedy, law enforcement officers and other first responders sprang into action. They secured the scene, helped victims, protected people and closed in to subdue the suspect. Their training and quick thinking saved lives.
Country music star Jason Aldean was performing when a barrage of shots flared out. For a second there was an eerie quietness as the music stopped and people were unsure of what was happening. Paddock then fired another volley of rapid shots. Aldean fled the stage, and the audience scrambled to take cover as the shots kept coming.
Terror-struck and running for their lives, the scene quickly became chaotic. The first responders to the scene struggled to make sense of what was happening.
As Paddock opened deadly fire onto a crowd of about 22,000 people from the two smashed windows of his hotel room, panic spread quickly. His angle prevented people from escaping, and they had to take cover and hide under bleachers.
The entire area was soon filled with SWAT and armored personnel vehicles, police cars and ambulances, forming a perimeter around the road leading to the Mandalay Hotel. Police shut down the busy Las Vegas Boulevard as officers from various law enforcement departments converged to tackle the situation. The nearby highways and McCarran International Airport were briefly closed as well, and some flights were grounded for a time.
Dozens of ambulances covered the road as they ferried the wounded to the jam-packed hospitals nearby. Local police quickly set up checkpoints, with officers carrying shotguns and assault rifles to contain the panic and stampede that ensued.
First responders quickly noted that the shots were being fired from high up and focused on nearby vantage points. The sound and flash of gunfire drew their attention to where Paddock was, several floors up at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. After identifying his location, the police had to restrain themselves from firing back as the crowd about them swelled, and they had to ensure the safety of the other hotel guests, too.
Police officers entered the hotel and began working their way to the shooter's room, while hotel guests were evacuated. When they were sure of the room, they backed off, and called in SWAT. When the SWAT team burst into his hotel room, Paddock was already dead due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Paddock, a 64-year-old local resident, reportedly acted alone. Police are still trying to figure out the motive behind his deadly action. His hotel room, which had a wide and uninterrupted view of the Las Vegas Strip, was stacked with 23 firearms, turning it into a veritable arsenal. He had checked into the suite several days before, and housekeepers said that they noted nothing unusual about this guest, though he had more than 10 suitcases in the room.
Once he was identified, police raided his Mesquite, Nevada, home and vehicle and found another huge cache of 19 weapons. Along with guns, they also uncovered explosives, several thousand rounds of ammo, and ammonia nitrate and other bomb-making equipment. Investigators noted that he had modified some of his rifles to being fully automatic, though the official report is pending from the ATF.
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI worked together with the local police and sheriff's departments to secure the area and later declared that there were no additional threats to the city. The FBI also ruled out possible terrorist connections, despite the rather odd proclamation by ISIS that Paddock acted on their behalf. Their claims were rejected.
Paddock, however, remains a mystery to the law enforcement in Las Vegas. Not known for any priors, he was not on anyone's radar. His Florida-based brother expressed shock and disbelief and said that Paddock was a wealthy accountant who led a normal life.
Investigators are still trying to figure out the mind of this psychopath, but in the midst of this tragedy we can take note of the decisive, life-saving actions of our first responders.
