Mass shooting on Las Vegas Strip kills 20, wounds dozens

For the latest updates please go to:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/10/02/las-vegas-shooting/722191001/

Updated 3:05 a.m. MST:

At least 20 people were killed and more than 100 injured when a "lone wolf" gunman opened fire at a country music festival in Las Vegas, police said.

Authorities shut down part of the Las Vegas Strip and Interstate 15 after receiving reports of an active shooter at the Route 91 Harvest festival, near the Mandalay Bay Casino at about 10:10 p.m. local time.
Sheriff Joe Lombardo of Las Vegas Police confirmed at a news conference that the shooter had fired from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay. He said officers responded and the suspect was dead. 
He said the suspect was identified as a local resident, but did not name him.
Lombardo said police were hunting for a person of interest who he named as Marilou Danley, the suspect's companion. He described her as an Asian female, about 4 foot 11 inches tall and weighing 111 pounds.
He said reports of multiple shooters and explosives were false. Some of the deceased were police officers, he added.
Videos on social media show people ducking for cover and fleeing as gunfire rings out. 
Ivetta Saldana, who was attending the festival, told The Las Vegas Review-Journal she hid in a sewer after the shooting began.
“It was was a horror show,” she told the newspaper “People were standing around, then they hit the floor.”
Witnesses said they saw multiple victims and dozens of ambulances. Some concert-goers huddled in the basement of the nearby Tropicana hotel-casino.
Some flights destined for the McCarran International Airport were diverted due to the incident.
The three-day Route 91 Harvest festival started Friday. The shooting occurred on the final night, during a performance by Jason Aldean. Aldean's team confirmed that the star and the rest of his team were safe.
 

Previous story, updated 2:23 a.m. MST:

LAS VEGAS (AP) — At least two people were killed and dozens wounded during a shooting at an outdoor music festival on the Las Vegas Strip late Sunday.
Dozens of patrol vehicles descended on the Strip after authorities received reports of an active shooter near the Route 91 Harvest Festival. Las Vegas police later said one suspect was "down" and they did not believe there were any other shooters.
Concert-goers reported seeing muzzle flashes from the upper floors of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino across Las Vegas Boulevard from the country music festival and the sound of what they described as automatic gun fire.
Twenty-six people were admitted to the hospital, University Medical Center spokeswoman Danita Cohen said. Of those, at least two died, 12 were in critical condition and the rest were being evaluated, she said.
Among the wounded was an off-duty officer from the Bakersfield Police Department in California, the department said. Authorities did not release the name of the officer, who suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Kodiak Yazzie, 36, said he and his girlfriend were watching Jason Aldean's performance when he heard what sounded like fireworks. The music stopped temporarily and started up again before another round of pops sent the performers ducking for cover and fleeing the stage.
Thousands fled as bursts of gunfire could be heard for more than five minutes, Yazzie said.
Jose Baggett, 31, a Las Vegas resident, said he and a friend were in the lobby of the Luxor hotel-casino — directly north of the festival — when people began running. He said people were crying and as he and his friend walked away, they encountered police checkpoints where officers were carrying shotguns and assault rifles.
"There were armored personnel vehicles, SWAT vehicles, ambulances, and at least a half-mile of police cars," Baggett said.
Witnesses said they saw multiple victims and dozens of ambulances near the concert venue. Some attendees later huddled in the basement of the nearby Tropicana hotel-casino.
Officers carrying assault rifles ran into the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.
Authorities shut down part of the Las Vegas Strip and Interstate 15. Flights were temporarily halted at McCarran International Airport because of the shooting, the airport said on its verified Twitter account.