Bermuda’s US Consul General, Mary Koenig, stated today that “it’s a heartbreaking day” following last night’s mass shooting in Las Vegas that left at least 58 people dead and more than 500 others injured, many of them in critical condition.
In a statement released this afternoon, Ms Koenig said: “It’s a heartbreaking day for those affected by this senseless tragedy.
“Right now, our thoughts are centred on the victims and the devastated families and friends who have been impacted.”
The long gunman, who shot at country music fans attending a concert, shot and killed himself when police raided his hotel room, in what is now the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
Several US networks have likened the deadly scene to a war zone with so many casualties and people seriously injured.
The gunman, has been identified as Mesquite, Nevada resident Stephen Craig Paddock, who was 64-years-old. Paddock opened fire on more than 22,000 people attending the Harvest Music Festival after he broke sealed windows and fired randomly from a perch from his room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
US authorities say there were at least ten guns and plenty of ammunition found in his room. Even more were found at his Mesquite residence. The motive for the attack remains unknown.
Police believe Paddock shot and killed himself on the 32nd floor of the Las Vegas hotel. The FBI says he had no known links to any international terror groups, and was believed to have acted alone. His room mate, Marilou Danley, a 62-year-old Australian woman who is also said to be his girlfriend, was initially named as a person of interest. But police later said she was out of the country at the time of the attack and cleared her of any involvement.
Meanwhile, Paddock’s brother said Stephen had no background with weapons. He told US television networks today that his brother was “just a guy who lived in a house in Mesquite, drove down and gambled in Las Vegas”.
