Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Coroner: 58 deaths during Vegas mass shooting due to gunfire

Mandalay

Hilary Swift / The New York Times

Pedestrians take photos of the broken windows on the 32nd floor where a gunman fired on an outdoor concert festival Sunday at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Oct. 2, 2017. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, killed at least 58 people and injured hundreds of others attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival at an outdoor venue near the hotel.

Updated Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017 | 5:46 p.m.

Each of the 58 fatal victims of the Oct. 1 mass killing during the Route 91 Harvest festival on the Las Vegas Strip died from gunfire, Clark County officials announced today.

Eighteen of the victims were shot in the head, according to a list provided by the Clark County Coroner’s office more than 11 weeks after a gunman broke two windows and opened fire from his 32nd-floor room in the Mandalay Bay, causing the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

More than 500 people also were injured. The gunman, Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old Mesquite resident, took his life before Metro Police officers breached his two-room suite.

He shot himself in the head, officials said.

A motive for the shooting has not been established or at least publicly identified. County Sheriff Joe Lombardo gave the last public briefing on Oct. 13.

A month into the investigation, Aaron Rouse, FBI Las Vegas’ special agent in charge, maintained that there was “absolutely” no indication Paddock was ideologically driven or affiliated with any international or domestic terror or hate group.

Initially, there were inconsistencies with the timeline of events of what occurred just before and after a hail of hundreds of bullets — in a span of 11 minutes — began to rain on attendees of the festival who were watching country music star Jason Aldean perform.

Officials said Paddock had an arsenal of rifles in the suite and reportedly had hundreds of unspent bullets.

Metro Police and the FBI said the inconsistencies were due in law enforcement’s efforts to release the information they had at the time to calm the public. Since then, law enforcement officials have been mum, asking for the public’s patience.

Rouse said investigators had made significant strides in their efforts and that “When we’re done, we’ll have as close to an answer on the why as you’re going to be able to come to without talking with (Paddock).”