The deadliest shooting in recent US history unfolded — as most do — in a storm of chaos and confusion.
Though the enormity of the situation emerged quickly Sunday night, details were still emerging of exactly what happened more than 24 hours later.
The police have confirmed that the gunman, identified as a 64-year-old man named Stephen Paddock, spent three days in Las Vegas before his attack and managed to amass a huge stockpile of guns.
By the time the general public had been told a shooting was underway Sunday night, Paddock was already dead. Here, moment by moment, is how the attack unfolded:
September 28, 2017: Stephen Paddock checks into the Mandalay Bay Casino on the south Las Vegas strip.
He arrived on Thursday, the day before the festival started. He launched his attack on Sunday evening, in the final moments of the concert.
Paddock transports huge quantities of weapons and ammunition into his room.
Las Vegas police say they found a total of 23 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition in his room.
Nevada gun laws are among the most permissive in the United States, but Mandalay Bay itself says firearms are “strictly prohibited” on its premises.
At a press conference after the shooting, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said Paddock brought “in excess of 10” suitcases up to his room.
Paddock’s movements between checking in on Thursday and opening fire on Sunday night are so far unclear.
Sunday, 9.40 p.m.: Route 91 Harvest festival begins its closing act.
Route 91 Harvest big announcement!https://t.co/shMUhgquxM#Rt91Harvest pic.twitter.com/uUX1jiMNBV
— 95.5 The Bull (@955thebull) February 21, 2017
According to Fox News, country star Jason Aldean went on stage at 9:40 p.m. on the night of the shooting. He played for half an hour before the shooting began.
He escaped unharmed and later paid tribute to his fans who were hurt and killed.
10.08 p.m., October 1: Paddock opens fire.
Using automatic weapons, Paddock rained bullets on the crowd of 22,000 people below him.
The first official word appears to have been an officer using police radio to alert his colleague. According to Reuters, a voice could be heard saying: “We got shots fired! It sounded like an automatic firearm.”
Twenty-four hours after the shooting, the death toll stands at 59, with more than 500 people injured.
10:13 p.m.: Police realise where the shots are coming from.
Citing police radio transmissions, the New York Times said police started to zero in on the upper floors of Mandalay Bay around five minutes after the shooting began.
Here are two lines where officers realise what is happening, both time-stamped 10:13 p.m.:
“It’s coming from like the 50th or 60th floor, north of the Mandalay Bay! It’s coming out a window.
“We’re seeing local flashes in the middle of Mandalay Bay on the north side, kind of on the west tower but towards the center of the casino, like one of the middle floors.”
Officers begin to search the hotel.
10:16 p.m.: News hits social media.
One of the earliest records of the shooting is this tweet from user @GLOKMIN, which was posted at 10:16 p.m. local time:
i'm pretty sure a terrorist attack just happened next to me im at mandalay bay
— ㅤ (@GLOKMIN) October 2, 2017
10:21 p.m.: “Still taking fire.”
It isn’t clear how long Paddock was firing for. The New York Times cites police radio at 10:20 p.m. saying “it’s been a while since we’ve heard any shots.”
However, a separate timeline compiled by Newsweek Magazine reports an officer near the concert venue saying the area was “still taking fire” at 10:21 p.m.
10:24 p.m.: Police gather near Paddock’s room.
Again citing police radio, the New York Times said officers were right outside Paddock’s room at 10:24 p.m., 16 minutes after the shooting began.
One message said: “I’m on the 32nd floor. The room is going to be 135.”
Another said: “It’s room 135 on the 32nd floor. I need the SWAT.”
However, it would be almost another hour until officers would break into Paddock’s room. He appears to have stopped shooting by this point.
10:25 p.m.: Police issue active shooter alert locally.
Taxi drivers in the area received a message direct from police at 10:25 p.m. telling them to avoid the Mandalay Bay area.
According to Reuters, it said: “Drivers avoid LV Blvd and Tropicana. Active shooting from Mandalay Bay. Possible 3 shooters.”
Approx 10:28 p.m.: Paddock shoots a hotel security guard.
Further police radio transmissions suggest that Paddock shot a hotel security guard trying to approach his room. The man was injured in the leg, according to the New York Times.
Approx 10:30 p.m.: Officers on the scene order passers-by to take cover.
Reuters reported that minutes after the alert to cab drivers, police started herding people inside the Mandalay Bay to get them out of range of the gunfire.
10:38 p.m.: Police publicly confirm active shooter.
Half an hour after the attack began, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department wrote on Twitter that it was investigating an ongoing shooting:
We're investigating reports of an active shooter near/around Mandalay Bay Casino. Asking everyone to please avoid the area. #LVMPDnews
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 2, 2017
11:20 p.m.: SWAT teams break into Paddock’s room and find him dead.
An hour and 12 minutes after the first shots are fired, a police SWAT unit detonated an explosive device to break down Paddock’s door, according to accounts by The Guardian and New York Times.
By this time, Paddock had already killed himself.
According to Newsweek, officers asked permission to enter Paddock’s room sooner but were told to wait for SWAT teams.
11:58 p.m.: Police confirm that the gunman is “down.”
Two minutes before midnight, and almost two hours after the first shots were fired, Las Vegas police tweet to confirm that “one suspect is down”:
Confirming that one suspect is down. This is an active investigation. Again, please do not head down to the Strip at this time.
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 2, 2017
October 2, 12:31 a.m.: Incident declared over.
It is not until 31 minutes past midnight — more than an hour since Paddock was found dead — that the police department sends a follow-up tweet saying that it believes the dead man was the only attacker.
Two hours and 23 minutes after it began, the massacre is officially over.
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