LAS VEGAS – Americans woke up to the horrible news of one of the worst mass shooting in the history of the country, after a gunman opened fire at a music festival next to the Mandalay Bay casino, killing 50 and wounding hundreds.
“An awful day in American history. The madness must stop. #LasVegas,” Sheikh Omar Suleiman wrote on Facebook on Monday, October 2.
A gunman identified later as, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, stood on the 32nd floor in Mandalay Bay, shooting fire on a huge outdoor concert festival on Sunday night.
The suspect killed more than 50 people, injured hundreds of others, and sent thousands of terrified survivors fleeing for cover until police officers identified his place.
Laith Alkhouri, a senior analyst at Flashpoint Global Partners, a security consulting firm in New York that tracks militant websites, said that he had seen no information yet on whether the suspect acted out of political motivation or grievance, or something else.
President Trump issued a statement on Twitter on Monday extending sympathies to the victims and their families and was scheduled to address the nation at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time.
The terrible incident has been condemned by American Muslims, who called for action to end gun violence.
“Dear Dallas, join us tonight as we #PrayforLasVegas at Thanks-Giving Square from 7-8 PM. There will be various government officials, faith leaders, and advocacy groups present. Spread the word,” Sheikh Suleiman wrote on Facebook.
“For those of you in other cities, please partake in events of unity calling for an end to gun violence,” he said in an earlier post.