LAS VEGAS: More than 20 people were killed and over 100 injured in a shooting at a country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas police confirmed early Monday.
The suspect was killed after the shooting, police sheriff said, adding that hunt was underway for a female companion believed to have travelled with the suspect.
Witnesses on social media said the shooting broke out on the last night of the three-day Route 91 Harvest festival, a sold-out event attended by thousands and featuring top acts such as Eric Church, Sam Hunt and Jason Aldean.
US media, including Fox News, reported that Aldean was performing on Sunday night when the rampage began but that he had been bundled safely off stage at the event outside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in the Nevada gambling mecca.
The spokeswoman for the University Medical Center hospital said 14 of the wounded were in a critical condition. All appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds, she said.
“Confirming that one suspect is down. This is an active investigation. Again, please do not head down to the Strip at this time,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said on Twitter.
Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping and entertainment.
Video on the festival’s website showed stage set up outside the front of the Mandalay Bay.
The hotel is near McCarran International Airport, which said on Twitter it had temporarily halted flights after the shooting. Later, the airport said that some flights had resumed.
Video clips posted online showed what sounded like automatic weapons as panicked concertgoers fled or dropped to the ground screaming. – Reuters
