Jason Aldean was performing for a crowd of approximately 30,000 concertgoers on Sunday night around 10 p.m. local time at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas when the first shots were fired into the crowd. The music stopped abruptly and the floodlights turned on. Aldean, the band, and Aldean’s wife were able to make it to safety, but chaos broke out as bullets continued to shower down.
The death toll is currently over 50. More than 200 people are injured. This is the deadliest mass Shooting in U.S. history.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police
Police determined that the shots were fired from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, where they engaged the shooter. He is now dead.
The police have identified the shooter as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nevada. Police are reporting that more than 50 are confirmed dead and over 200 are injured. Two police officers sustained injuries; one only sustained minor injuries, but the other is in critical condition.
Las Vegas Police Sheriff Joseph Lombardo, who issued the statement, also stated that there were two off-duty officers attending the concert who were killed.
Concertgoer accounts
Eyewitnesses have described the noise of the gunshots sounding like everything from fireworks and firecrackers to machine guns to “a semi braking with the air brakes.” Regardless of how they have described the noise of the shots, eyewitnesses repeatedly say that the shooting went on for an extended period of time and that they heard hundreds of rounds.
Rachel Dekerf claims, “The gunshots lasted for 10-15 minutes. It didn’t stop. We just ran for our lives.” The videos of the mass shooting captured people screaming and running while clearly injured and bleeding.
Jon Bessette, who was attending the concert, said, “Everyone was running, people were getting trampled."
Social media on the shooting
Three hours after the concert Jason Aldean took to Instagram to let his fans know that he and his band were okay: “I still dont know what to say but I wanted to let everyone know that Me and my Crew are safe.” He posted an image of the strip and “Pray for Las Vegas.” He said the night had “been beyond horrific,” and “his thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved tonight.”
Carolyn G. Goodman, the mayor of the city, tweeted, “Pray for Las Vegas. Thank you to all our first responders out there now.”
Countless others continue to voice their support across platforms.
