Las Vegas shootings are an act of pure evil, Trump says

Donald Trump addressed the media from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House on Monday after having been briefed on Sunday evening's shooting in Las Vegas that claimed the lives of more than 50 people, leaving a further 400 wounded.

Earlier in the day, the President had expressed his condolences for the victims via his account on Twitter.

My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2017

Trump said that all Americans had been "joined together in sadness, shock and grief" as a result of the "act of pure evil."

He said, "The FBI and Department of homeland securities are working closely with local authorities" and would be providing an update shortly.

The President said he would be visiting Las Vegas on Wednesday to speak with victims and law enforcement, but in the meantime assured those affected, "We are praying for you, and we are here for you."

In response to Trump's comments, country/folk artist Mishka Shubaly took to his Twitter account to call for an immediate tightening of the country's gun laws.

Your thoughts and prayers are an empty, hollow insult to the dead and wounded.
We need GUN CONTROL NOW.

— Mishka Shubaly (@MishkaShubaly) October 2, 2017

The Las Vegas Police Department identified the shooter as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada.

Paddock had been staying at the Mandalay Bay Hotel since 28 September and, despite extremist group IS claiming responsibility for the attack, had no known links to terrorist organisations, leading authorities to stress that they knew very little about the shooting at the time, as LVMPD Sherriff Lombardo said he was not prepared to label the shooting a terrorist incident.

Mesquite police spokesman Quinn Averett said, "We don't have a lot on Mr Paddock," as the Mesquite PD records showed no record of any contact with Paddock. No calls for service, no arrests, or any record of a traffic stop.

Paddock's brother, Eric told CBS, "He's not an avid gun guy at all. The fact that he had those kind of weapons is just – where the hell did he get automatic weapons? He has no military background or anything like that. He’s just a guy who lived in a house in Mesquite, drove down and gambled in Las Vegas."

Paddock had been confirmed as deceased on site, but LVMPD was unable to confirm whether or not his death was a result of a self-inflicted gun wound or police fire.

The death toll of at least 50 made the mass shooting the deadliest in US history, surpassing the June 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.