Police are still trying to make sense of the Las Vegas mass shooting that took place on Sunday night. They are trying to figure out how Stephen Paddock -- the gunman -- was capable of such carnage that led to 59 deaths and more than 500 people injured.
Eric Paddock -- the shooter’s brother -- told police that his brother was a regular at casinos and a big spender. Eric claimed that casinos would even give him meals and rooms without charging him.
The nation continues to grieve for all the lost souls and many are trying to help in any way that they can to bring closure to one of the deadliest mass shooting in US history.
Hospitals overwhelmed from blood donations and volunteers
In the wake of the tragedy, many people went straight to Las Vegas to offer their services in the hospitals. According to USA Today, Nick Jones went to Vegas from Vancouver, Washington after learning about the shooting. However, he was turned down as hospitals already had plenty of help from volunteers.
Blood donations also arrived to help out victims of the massacre. In fact, there were so many donations that hospitals are now fully stocked and had to refuse any more coming in from donors. Also, a Las Vegas shooting fund was created in the GoFundMe website and has already collected 3.3 million dollars from 50,000 individuals in just 24 hours, according to USA Today.
Stephen Paddack’s arsenal of weapons
Eric told authorities that his brother owned a few guns. Police found 42 guns to be exact, 23 of which were found inside the gunman’s room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and while 19 more guns were found inside his home in Mesquite, Nevada.
Furthermore, police discovered tripods at Paddock’s hotel room located near the windows.
Authorities believe that the tripods were positioned to have a sniper rifle mounted on top of it. Police also revealed that the gunman has set up a surveillance camera outside his hotel door.
All of Paddock’s weapons were probably acquired legally in Nevada. USA Today reported that people in Nevada don’t need any permits to purchase a gun, as stated by the National Rifle Association.
They are allowed to possess assault weapons and any other large-capacity ammunition magazines.
The Las Vegas shooting once again revived the debate about gun laws in the US. President Donald Trump said that his administration will be “talking about gun laws as time goes by,” cited by USA Today.
Gabrielle Giffords -- a former US congresswoman -- also stated, “The massacre in Las Vegas is a grave tragedy for our nation.” She added, “This must stop – we must stop this.” Giffords was shot in 2011 by a gunman and is now a co-founder of the gun violence prevention group Americans for Responsible Solutions.
