The Tank

Interesting comment in the international news.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the shooting saying the attacker “converted to Islam a few months ago”.

Copied from:

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/86 ... pdates/amp


What happened in Las Vegas? Latest news and updates on the Mandalay Bay shooting
Las Vegas shooting

What happened in Las Vegas? Latest news on the Mandalay Bay shooting
THE LAS Vegas shooting killed at least 58 people at a country music concert across the Strip from Mandalay Bay hotel and casino last night. Here is what we know so far.

By ALICE FOSTER
PUBLISHED: 22:37, Mon, Oct 2, 2017

More than 500 people have been injured in the worst mass shooting in modern US history at the Route 91 Harvest Festival on the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard.

Gunman Stephen Paddock, 64, who was in a hotel room on the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay, opened fire into the concert crowd at about 10.08pm last night.

The shooting sparked mass panic and confusion with gunshots and screams filling the air as the crowd of more than 22,000 people tried to run for cover.

Paddock, from Mesquite, Nevada, is believed to have killed himself before police burst into his room to find his dead body surrounded by more than 10 guns.

The manic gunman had bought multiple firearms in the past, several of them purchased in California, but those don't appear to be among the weapons found in the Mandalay Bay hotel room.

The suspicion is that at least one of the rifles used was altered to function as an automatic weapon, the official said. Among the weapons found were a .223 caliber and a .308.

Las Vegas shooting: Emergency phone numbers for Mandalay Bay attack
Records show Paddock lived in a two-bedroom house in Mesquite, 80 miles from Las Vegas.

Eric Paddock told reporters his brother was a multi-millionaire who made much of his fortune by investing in real estate.

He added that his brother was also an accountant for many years, but he was not aware of any recent financial difficulties he may have had.

In an address to the nation, Donald Trump said the gunman opened fire into a large crowd during the "terrible, terrible attack" last night.

Mr Trump said: "He brutally murdered more than 50 people and wounded hundreds more. It was an act of pure evil."

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the shooting saying the attacker “converted to Islam a few months ago”.

The claim by the terror group’s news agency cannot be verified and contradicts police statements. The FBI has found no connection to any international terrorist groups.

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said Paddock was thought to have been a "lone wolf actor" and the "sole aggressor", although his motive remains unknown.

His voice quavering, the sheriff said: "Obviously this is a tragedy and one that we have never experienced in this valley."

An off-duty police officer was among at the least 58 dead. Another victim is close to death, while the total number of injured has risen to 515.

Heather Melton says her husband, Sonny, was among the 58 people killed on Sunday night.

She says he died saving her from being shot, telling Nashville news station WZTV that "he saved my life and lost his."


What happened in Las Vegas? Stephen Paddock named as gunman
Screams filled the outdoor venue, known as Las Vegas Village, which is across the Strip from Mandalay Bay where Paddock had been since Thursday.

There were scenes of chaos as country music singer Jason Aldean and his band realised what was happening and ran off stage.

Festivalgoer Jon Bessett told NBC News that "pandemonium" broke out, adding: ”Everyone was running, people were getting trampled.

"We ran as quick as we could into hotel and tried to get on the elevator but couldn't get in. Everyone was running for safety.”

Paddock's shocked brother Eric Hudson Paddock told the press: "We're shocked, horrified, completely dumb founded."

Eric described his sibling as a gambler with "no religious affiliation, no political affiliation", or history of mental illness.

He added: "The fact that he had those kinds of weapons is just ... where the hell did he get automatic weapons? He has no military background or anything like that.

"He's a guy who lived in a house in Mesquite and drove down and gambled in Las Vegas."


Eric told CBS that his brother's girlfriend was Marilou Danley, a nice woman who sent his mother cookies.

Sheriff Lombardo said Paddock had been using Marilou's ID but she was later found to be out of the country at the time of the attack.

Police confirmed Ms Danley is no longer a "person of interest" after detectives made contact with her and ruled out her involvement.

READ MORE: WHO IS STEPHEN PADDOCK?

LVMPD
Las Vegas shooting: Marilou Danley is no longer seen as a person of interest
Officers have located two cars - a Hyundai Tucson and a Chrysler Pacifica Touring - which were registered in the name of the dead gunman.

At 10.38pm local time, police tweeted: "We're investigating reports of an active shooter near/around Mandalay Bay Casino. Asking everyone to please avoid the area."

Just before midnight local time, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) tweeted: "Confirming that one suspect is down.

"This is an active investigation. Again, please do not head down to the Strip at this time."

Half an hour later, police added: "At this time we do not believe there are any more shooters."

The next day, LVMPD said: “Paddock opened fire on a crowd of more than 22,000 concert-goers from his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel on Sunday evening at approximately 10.08pm.

“The victims were across the street attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival concert when bullets rang out. LVMPD SWAT responded to the call, breached the hotel room and found the suspect dead."

One witness named Christine spoke about how she and her husband had separately taken victims to two hospitals, the University Medical Center and the Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.

"The shots just kept coming," she told CNN. "Everyone was telling us 'run, run as fast as you can'."

Getty
What happened in Las Vegas? People tend to the wounded outside the festival ground
Jason Aldean posted on Instagram: “Tonight has been beyond horrific. I still don’t know what to say but wanted to let everyone know that Me and my Crew are safe.

“My Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved tonight. It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night.”

Mandalay Bay Resort said hotels in the vicinity of the shooting were put on lockdown to protect guests after the ‘tragic’ attack at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip.

“Our thoughts & prayers are with the victims of last night's tragic events. We’re grateful for the immediate actions of our first responders,” the resort tweeted.

Getty
What happened in Las Vegas? A man in a wheelchair is taken away from the festival
Tributes are pouring in to the dead with world leaders sending their condolences to the surviving victims and the families of those killed.

Donald Trump tweeted: “My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!”

Former President Barack Obama said: “Michelle & I are praying for the victims in Las Vegas. Our thoughts are with their families & everyone enduring another senseless tragedy.”

Theresa May tweeted: “The UK's thoughts are with the victims and the emergency services responding to the appalling attack in Las Vegas.”

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted: “Horrified by awful and indiscriminate Las Vegas attack. Thoughts with all those affected. Urgently establishing if Brits involved.”

A British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spokesman said: “Our sympathies are with all those affected by the horrific shooting in Las Vegas.

"We are in contact with emergency services and are ready to help however we can.”

Asked about whether any British nationals were injured or killed, he said: “Details about the incident are still emerging and we are in contact with Las Vegas emergency services.

“We are ready to help any British people affected. Any British people in Las Vegas should follow the advice of emergency services, and check the Foreign Office travel advice.”

Mccarran International Airport said flights were temporarily halted in the aftermath of the shooting.

Nearly two dozen flights have been diverted to other airports overnight but “limited flight activity” has now resumed.

Why deny the Isis/ Muslim / islamic connection?
But in all fairness there probably was not an international connection since there are plenty of bases following the constitution of Isis supporting governments already in the states. Aka mosques.


http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/861 ... sible-Amaq

FBI denies Vegas shooter had 'international connections' after ISIS claims responsibility
THE FBI has denied the Las Vegas shooter had any links to an international terrorist group - despite Islamic State (ISIS) claiming responsibility for the death of at least 59 people.
By ALIX CULBERTSON
15:11, Mon, Oct 2, 2017

An FBI special agent told a press conference on Monday the agency was "determined" there was no link.

His statement came just an hour after ISIS's Amaq news agency released two statements in Arabic saying ISIS was responsible for the worst shooting in US history.

It claimed the shooter, identified by Vegas police as Stephen Paddock from Mesquite, Nevada, had converted to Islam "months ago" and called him a "soldier of Islamic State".

The terror group's claims cannot be verified.

About 50 people died and more than 400 were hurt when the 64-year-old gunman, with an arsenal of at least 10 rifles, fired on a country music festival on Sunday night.

Shooting from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino, he carried out the brutal attack for several minutes before killing himself, police said.

The FBI special agent, said: "We have determined, to this point, no connection with an international terrorist group.

"As this investigation continues, we will continue to work with our partners to ensure that this is factually, thoroughly and absolutely investigated, to be able to bring comfort and peace back to this community."


Paddock's brother told CBS News the shooter had "no religious affiliation, no political affiliation, he just hung out".

Terror experts have expressed their surprise at ISIS claiming the attack, but pointed out the two statements were released on ISIS' official primary news source.

Rita Katz, director of SITE Intelligence Group, said it was a "rare event" for Amaq to release a follow-up statement about Paddock supposedly converting to Islam "months ago".

But, she added given what is known of Paddock, ISIS needs evidence, otherwise it "might make ISIS appear (more) desperate for claims".


A senior US official said security agencies are examining ISIS's claim of responsibility but have not yet verified it.

In May, ISIS released a 44-minutes propaganda video calling for Muslims living in the West to carry a lone wolf attack on the Vegas strip, with authorities placed on high-alert.

The death toll, which police emphasised was preliminary, would make the mass shooting the deadliest in US history, eclipsing last year's massacre of 49 people at an Orlando night club by a gunman who pledged allegiance to Islamic State militants.

Some 22,000 people were in the crowd when Paddock opened fire, sparking a panic in which some people trampled on others, as law enforcement officers scrambled to locate the gunman.

Shocked concertgoers, some with blood on their clothing, wandered the streets afterwards.

Police said they had no information about Paddock's motive, that he had no criminal record and was not believed to be connected to any militant group. Paddock killed himself before police entered the hotel room he was firing from, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters.

Mr Lombardo, said: ”We have no idea what his belief system was.”

A senior US government official said Paddock's name was not on any database of suspected terrorists.

Mr Lombardo said there were more than 10 rifles in the room where Paddock killed himself after checking into the hotel on Thursday.

The dead included one off-duty police officer, Mr Lombardo said.

Two on-duty officers were injured, including one who was in stable condition after surgery and one who sustained minor injuries, Lombardo said. Police warned the death toll may rise.

As sunrise approached, police were still finding people who had taken cover during the attack, Lombardo said.

He added: “It's going to take time for us to get through the evacuation phase.”

Video of the attack showed panicked crowds fleeing as sustained rapid gunfire ripped through the area.

Steve Smith, a 45-year-old visitor from Phoenix, Arizona, who had flown in for the concert, said: “People were just dropping to the ground. It just kept going on.” He said the gunfire went on for an extended period of time.

He added: “Probably 100 shots at a time.

”It would sound like it was reloading and then it would go again."

Las Vegas's casinos, nightclubs and shopping draw some 3.5 million visitors from around the world each year and the area was packed with visitors when the shooting broke out shortly after 10 pm local time (0500 BST).

https://www.yahoo.com/news/gunman-kille ... soc_trk=ma


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Brother: Las Vegas gunman was wealthy real-estate investor

Associated Press
KEN RITTER and GENE JOHNSON
Associated PressOctober 3, 2017


Paddock's Brother: No Logic to Explain Shooting
The brother of the gunman in the mass shooting Sunday night at a music concert in Las Vegas said there's no logic to explain the shooting. Eric Paddock said his brother played video poker to "stay at home in the casino.'' (Oct. 2)
MESQUITE, Nev. (AP) — Stephen Paddock lived in a tidy Nevada retirement community where the amenities include golf, tennis and bocce. He was a wealthy real-estate investor, recently shipped his 90-year-old mother a walker and liked to play high-stakes video poker in Las Vegas.
Nothing in his background suggests why he would have been on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino with at least 17 guns on Sunday night, raining an unparalleled slaughter upon an outdoor country music festival below.

Law enforcement and family members could not explain what would motivate a one-time accountant with no known criminal record to inflict so much carnage. Paddock had apparently planned the attack in great detail, including showing up at the hotel with at least 10 suitcases.
"I can't even make something up," his bewildered brother, Eric Paddock, told reporters Monday. "There's just nothing."
At least 59 people were killed and nearly 530 injured in Paddock's attack on the Route 91 Harvest Festival, where country music star Jason Aldean was performing for more than 22,000 fans. It was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The 64-year-old gunman killed himself in the hotel room before authorities arrived.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility, without offering evidence, but Aaron Rouse, the FBI agent in charge in Las Vegas, said investigators saw no connection to international terrorism.
Asked about a potential motive, Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said he could not "get into the mind of a psychopath at this point."
Public records offered no hint of financial distress or criminal history, though multiple people who knew him said he was a big gambler.
"No affiliation, no religion, no politics. He never cared about any of that stuff," Eric Paddock said as he alternately wept and shouted. "He was a guy who had money. He went on cruises and gambled."
Eric Paddock also told The Associated Press that he had not talked to his brother in six months and last heard from him when Stephen checked in briefly by text message after Hurricane Irma.
Their mother spoke with him about two weeks ago, and when he found out recently that she needed a walker, he sent her one, Eric Paddock said.
Eric Paddock recalled receiving a recent text from his brother showing "a picture that he won $40,000 on a slot machine. But that's the way he played."
He described his brother as a multimillionaire and said they had business dealings and owned property together. He said he was not aware that his brother had gambling debts.
"He had substantial wealth. He'd tell me when he'd win. He'd grouse when he'd lost. He never said he'd lost $4 million or something. I think he would have told me."
Heavily armed police searched Paddock's home Monday in Mesquite, about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas near the Arizona border, looking for clues. Paddock lived there with his 62-year-old girlfriend, who authorities said was out of the country when the shooting happened. Eric Paddock described her as kindly and said she sometimes sent cookies to his mother.
Police also searched a two-bedroom home Paddock owned in a retirement community in Reno, 500 miles from Mesquite.
So far, Paddock doesn't seem like a typical mass murderer, said Clint Van Zandt, a former FBI hostage negotiator and supervisor in the bureau's behavioral science unit. Paddock is much older than the typical shooter and was not known to be suffering from a mental illness.
"My challenge is, I don't see any of the classic indicators, so far, that would suggest, 'OK, he's on the road either to suicide or homicide or both," Van Zandt said.
Nevertheless, his actions suggest that he had planned the attacks for at least a period of days.
Some of the rifles had scopes, the sheriff said. And authorities found two gun stocks that could have let him modify weapons to make them fully automatic, according to two U.S. officials briefed by law enforcement who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still unfolding.
"He knew what he wanted to do. He knew how he was going to do it, and it doesn't seem like he had any kind of escape plan at all," Van Zandt said.
While Stephen Paddock appeared to have no criminal history, his father was a notorious bank robber, Eric Paddock confirmed to The Orlando Sentinel. Benjamin Hoskins Paddock tried to run down an FBI agent with his car in Las Vegas in 1960 and wound up on the agency's most wanted list after escaping from a federal prison in Texas in 1968, when Stephen Paddock was a teen.
The oldest of four children, Paddock was 7 when his father was arrested for the robberies. A neighbor, Eva Price, took him swimming while FBI agents searched the family home.
She told the Tucson Citizen at the time: "We're trying to keep Steve from knowing his father is held as a bank robber. I hardly know the family, but Steve is a nice boy. It's a terrible thing."
An FBI poster issued after the escape said Benjamin Hoskins Paddock had been "diagnosed as psychopathic" and should be considered "armed and very dangerous." He'd been serving a 20-year sentence for a string of bank robberies in Phoenix.
The elder Paddock remained on the lam for nearly a decade, living under an assumed name in Oregon. Investigators found him in 1978 after he attracted publicity for opening the state's first licensed bingo parlor. He died in 1998.
Stephen Paddock bought his one-story, three-bedroom home in a newly built Mesquite subdivision for $369,000, in 2015, property records show. Past court filings and recorded deeds in California and Texas suggest he co-owned rental property.
He previously lived in another Mesquite — the Dallas suburb of Mesquite, Texas — from 2004 to 2012, according to Mesquite, Texas, police Lt. Brian Parrish. Paddock owned at least three separate rental properties, Parrish said, and there was no indication the police department had any contact with him over that time.
He has been divorced at least twice, including marriages that ended in 1980 and 1990. One of the ex-wives lives in Southern California, where a large gathering of reporters congregated in her neighborhood. Los Angeles police Sgt. Cort Bishop said she did not want to speak with journalists. He relayed that the two had not been in contact for a long time and did not have children.
In 2012, Paddock sued the Cosmopolitan Hotel & Resorts in Nevada, saying he slipped and fell on a wet floor there. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed by a judge and settled by arbitration.
Reached by telephone, Paddock's lawyer at the time, Jared R. Richards, said he could not comment because of client confidentiality concerns.
___
Johnson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Terrance Harris and Tamara Lush in Orlando, Florida; Jennifer Kay in Miami; Florida; Eric Tucker in Washington, D.C.; David Warren in Dallas; Michael Sisak in Philadelphia; Lindsay Whitehurst in Salt Lake City; Jeff Donn in Plymouth, Massachusetts; Sadie Gurman and Eric Tucker in Washington; and AP researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.