A gunman now identified as Stephen Paddock fired round after round into an country music open air festival in Las Vegas last night. He was on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino at 10 pm Sunday night(1 am eastern time). Fifty individuals have been confirmed dead, and the casualty number is now at  406. This is the worst mass shooting in American history, followed by the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016.

Stephen Paddock, 64, resided in a Nevada retirement home. His motives remain unclear, but a woman who is alleged to be his companion has been located, according to Las Vegas police. After the devastating attack, Paddock shot himself in his room before SWAT teams found him. It was confirmed that at least 10 weapons were found in the hotel room where Paddock was found. Paddock’s brother made a statement to the Orlando Sentinel, saying  “We are completely dumbfounded… We can’t understand what happened.”

Those present at the resort said they thought the gunfire was fireworks at first. It was only after they saw the panicked people running from the concert that they realized they were being shot at. The New York Times reported a number of statements from those present at the shooting. One said, “This is not an exaggeration: This shooting was going on for at least 10 minutes… It was nonstop.” One witness who ran from the venue said they saw at least 20 people bleeding on the street.

President Trump took to Twitter to make a statement. He wrote, “My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!”

The Chieftain Press will keep you updated with more information as the story unfolds.