How Did the Nation’s Largest Mass Shooting Happen?
Las Vegas and the entire country are reeling over the horrific mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. At approximately 10 pm on October 1st, this Las Vegas country music festival became the site of America’s largest mass shooting to date.
What Happened the Night of October First?
As Jason Aldean sang for a packed crowd, gunshots rang out. The singer was forced to abandon the stage as bullets began to fly and stage crews shut off lights. Initially, festival goers thought the sounds of gunfire were helicopters or fireworks, but when people started to fall, the crowd ran for cover. Accounts from victims say the shooting lasted for 10-15minutes.
It is estimated that over 500 people were injured during the shooting, and as of this writing, at least 58 people are believed to be dead. That makes this shooting the largest mass shooting incident in our country’s history.
Who Was the Man Suspected of This Shooting?
Paddock was living in a Mesquite, Nevada retirement community about 80 miles north of Las Vegas. He was seemingly well off, owning an apartment complex in Texas with his brother. The man was not known for having any ties to terrorism or extremist groups, however, he was known to be a gambler. His brother described Paddock as a frequent visitor to Vegas, and he often bet large sums at the casinos. One such casino would become the site for his rampage.
The Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino was where Paddock checked in. Sometime during his stay at the resort, he brought in several guns and a large cache of ammunition, which he used to open fire from a 32nd floor room.
Could This Shooting Have Been Prevented?
Right now, authorities are covering every angle they can to figure out why anyone would commit such a heinous crime. Undoubtedly, the authorities will also be combing through security footage at the Mandalay Bay, and that may hold the key to several very important questions.
Were there any signs that Paddock was preparing for this shooting? Did he have any sort of help? How did he bring so many weapons into the hotel? These questions may prove important for more than just prosecutors and authorities, but for victims of this tragedy.
Hotels and other business establishments have a duty to provide a safe environment and protect guests and victims from foreseeable criminal attacks. In an instance such as this, if the hotel was negligent, then they could potentially be legally responsible, in part, for the wrongful deaths and injuries to the surviving victims . For now, we must wait to see what the investigation uncovers.
This news alert was brought to you by the Bay Area premises liability attorneys at Mary Alexander & Associates.
Update: the security guard who confronted the Las Vegas shooter was just interviewed by TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. In the interview, the guard revealed he discovered that the fire escape stairwell on the Mandalay Bay’s 32nd floor was being blocked. The guard continued his checks to figure out what was happening when the suspected shooter began firing down the hall through the door to his suite. The guard took cover, but was hit in the leg and called in to report the shooting.
Other sources have been taking to the internet, telling their stories and sharing videos of this tragedy. However, this information has steadily been tainted by conspiracy theories and misinformation. This has led many to believe that investigators may be withholding key details, and it has left many of the victims with no answers as to what happened that day.
Police timelines for the events of that day are still being modified and adjusted as new information is confirmed. Yet answers are not flowing to victims as it should. There are legal ways for the people harmed by this mass shooting to get answers and compensation. Some are now turning to attorneys to learn what their options are and to force investigators to share what they know. The attorneys at Mary Alexander & Associates, P.C. are investigating the Las Vegas shooting to determine how the tragedy could have been avoided and help victims to hold the negligent parties responsible.
