America remains in shock after a massacre took place on October 1, late Sunday night at a country music festival taking place on the Las Vegas Strip. A gunman staying at the MGM owned Mandalay Bay Resort on the Strip opened fire on the unsuspecting crowd from his hotel room on the 32^nd floor.
Mandalay Bay Shooting
Police reports state that Stephen Paddock fired on the crowd with an automatic weapon before picking up the next loaded weapon and spraying the crowd with bullets. He is reported to have checked into Mandalay Bay on September 28 and had sneaked one handgun and sixteen rifles in his hotel room which he used to cause carnage leaving 59 people dead and more than 500 injured.
This is the deadliest shooting to have occurred on American soil and the damage could have been far greater, if it wasn’t for the swift work for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD). Thankfully there were a number of off-duty police personnel at the country music concert who not only helped the large crowd take cover but also helped the LVMPD to identify where the shots were coming from and help them figure out that the shooter was on the 32^nd floor.
Deadliest Shooting In U.S. History
The LVMPD stormed the Mandalay Bay and used an explosive device to gain access to Paddock’s room but state that he was already dead through a self inflicted gunshot. Paddock lived in Mesquite, Nevada which is about 90 miles from the Vegas Strip and a search of his home showed that he had thousands of rounds of ammunition, more guns and explosive materials stored. The authorities have ruled that he has no links to international terrorism groups and had no police record. However there have been claims from ISIS that Paddock was one of their foot soldiers and they claimed responsibility for the attack.
The LVMPD and the FBI have launched an investigation into the Mandalay Bay attack and have called on the public to share videos or any other information they might have that will help with the investigation.
How Did Paddock Sneak 16 Rifles To His Room?
Casinos in Nevada have been taking extra precautions in the last couple of years because there have been warnings of a potential terror attack. Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world and is flooded with both domestic and international tourists all year around. Casino operators have invested heavily into security technology and safety training procedures to ensure that they provide their guests with a safe and worry free experience.
Which is why it is baffling to find that Stephen Paddock was able to sneak in sixteen rifles and one handgun into his room. The authorities will have to watch CCTV footage to find out how he managed to bypass security and if negligence on the part of Mandalay Bay security was the cause for him managing to store an arsenal in his hotel room.
Mandalay Bay has so far refused to release any information or a statement on how Paddock managed to bypass their security and claim that they cannot do so right now as it is part of a live investigation.
Las Vegas Casinos Increase Security Measures
Las Vegas Casinos have no option but to increase security protocols and be a lot more vigilant in screening their guests. This is no easy task as casinos on the strips receive thousands of visitors every hour and no metal detectors have been installed as these premises as they interfere with the overall hospitality and guest experience.
Casino operators will most likely have to come together under the direction of the LVMPD and implement a set of security measures that will help ensure incidents like this do not take place ever again. For now, Las Vegas casinos are looking to retrain their staff and help them be more equipped to spot and report strange behavior so that casino security can immediately monitor that particular individual.
Some security experts believe that putting casino employees through a week long security training course will not be sufficient to help them gain the skills to identify criminals and terrorists. One thing is for certain, Las Vegas casinos as well as casinos around the world will have to do more quickly to provide their guests with better security and safety.