People evacuate after the shooting in Las Vegas, the United States, Oct. 2, 2017. At least 50 people were killed and over 200 others wounded in a mass shooting at a concert Sunday night outside of the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas in the U.S. state of Nevada. (Xinhua/Huang Chao)
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 50 people were killed and over 200 others wounded in a mass shooting at a concert Sunday night outside of the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas in the U.S. state of Nevada.
The death toll if confirmed would make the mass shooting the deadliest in U.S. history and surpass the 49 killed at an Orlando nightclub last year.
Las Vegas Metropolis Police Department (LVMDP) published the latest casualty number at a news briefing to media early Monday morning.
The shooter opened fire from the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay hotel and was found dead inside a hotel room later, said Joseph Lombardo, sheriff of LVMDP.
Investigators identified the shooter, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, as a local resident and did not find any links to terrorism, Lombardo said, adding that he had "numerous firearms" in the hotel room.
The police also said they were hunting an Asian female named Marylou Danley, adding that they have located the suspected vehicles and the person of interest.
"We don't believe there are any more shooters," Lombardo said.
University Medical Center of Las Vegas told Xinhua earlier that two injured people were later dead in the hospital while the death toll at other hospitals were unknown so far.
"Twenty-six patients were admitted to the hospital, at least two have passed away, 12 are in critical condition, rest of the patients are being evaluated," said Danita Cohen, spokesperson of University Medical Center.
The sound of an automatic weapon being fired can be heard in a video clip posted online by people attending the country music concert during the attack.
The kind of firearm that made the noise was reportedly not easy to purchase in the United States.
The gunfire that interrupted the concert was initially mistaken for fireworks.
"We heard what sounded like firecrackers going off. Then all of a sudden we heard what sounded like a machine gun. People started screaming that they were hit... When we started running out there were probably a couple hundred on the ground," Meghan Kearney, who was at the festival when the shooting happened, told MSNBC news channel.
"People kept dropping and dropping... People were getting shot one foot away from us," she said. "People were trying to save their friends. There were gunshots everywhere."
Luo Xianlin, a Chinese tourist, told Xinhua that he was walking on the street two blocks away when the shooting happened, and ran into Ceasar Palace Hotel with a crowd of frantic people.
"I didn't hear any sound of opening fire, but I ran with other people. Some stayed in the lobby. My four Chinese colleges and I hid in a room with seven Guatemalans and two Germans for four hours," he said.
