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Crime & Justice • Mass Shooting

Las Vegas shooting

The Las Vegas shooting was a mass shooting on October 1, 2017, in which Stephen Paddock fired from a suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel into a crowd attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

The Las Vegas shooting was a mass shooting on October 1, 2017, in which Stephen Paddock fired from a suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel into a crowd attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. It killed 60 people and injured hundreds more, making it the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Background

The attack took place during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival, an outdoor concert event on the Las Vegas Strip. Large crowds were gathered below the Mandalay Bay hotel when the shooting began.

Attack

Stephen Paddock fired from a suite on the 32nd floor of the hotel into the crowd below. Reports describe sustained gunfire over several minutes, with more than 1,000 rounds discharged.

Casualties and response

The shooting killed 60 people and wounded many others, with totals varying across reports depending on whether gunshot injuries or broader panic-related injuries are counted. Police later found Paddock dead in his room.

Investigation

Authorities said the motive was not established, and later reporting cited the FBI as finding no single clear motivating factor. The investigation also found no confirmed link to terrorism.

Key facts

  • Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel overlooking the festival.
  • He fired more than 1,000 rounds during the attack.
  • At least 60 people were killed and hundreds were injured.
  • Paddock was found dead in his hotel room from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
  • Investigators did not establish a clear motive for the attack.
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Canadian context

The event received extensive coverage in Canada and is often discussed in Canadian debates about gun violence, public safety, and the cross-border influence of U.S. firearm policy.

Frequently asked questions

When did the Las Vegas shooting happen?
It occurred on October 1, 2017, during the Route 91 Harvest music festival.
Who carried out the shooting?
The shooter was Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old man from Nevada.
How many people died?
The attack killed 60 people, excluding Paddock; sources that count him report 61 deaths total.
How many people were injured?
Reports vary: at least 413 were wounded by gunfire, while the total injured count including panic-related injuries was reported at about 867.
What was the motive?
Authorities said the motive was officially undetermined, and later FBI reporting found no single clear motivating factor.
Why is it historically notable?
It is widely described as the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

References

  1. Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Las_Vegas_shooting
    Supports: Date, location, perpetrator, fatalities, injuries, weapon use, and the fact that Paddock died by suicide.
  2. BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41466116
    Supports: Casualty figures, location, perpetrator identity, and the absence of a confirmed international-terrorism link.
  3. BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41471242
    Supports: Casualty figures and description of the attack as the worst mass shooting in the United States at the time.
  4. CBS Newshttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/las-vegas-shooting-how-it-happened/
    Supports: Deadliest mass shooting framing, perpetrator details, and lack of confirmed motive.
  5. CNNhttps://www.cnn.com/2017/10/02/us/las-vegas-shooting-what-we-know
    Supports: Fatality and injury counts, deadliest shooting framing, and overall attack description.
  6. PubMed Centralhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12094114/
    Supports: Approximately 22,000 attendees, over 1,000 rounds fired, and injury/fatality breakdown.