The fact that he is 64 years old and has no criminal record at all is already a big overcoming of the typical odds in profile of this type of shooter.

That's not how it's been described. It's a little vague but it sounds like there have been "incidents without convictions" - they've referred to him as being "Known to law enforcement". That would be consistent with something like domestic violence, which is often a common thread in these profiles.

iamshack declared himself safe on FB, so that is also good news

I woke up and let my dogs out about 4:30.Heard some sirens and stuff but nothing too unusual. Checked my phone and saw people marking themselves "safe." Thinking what the hell? Then the texts and calls started coming.

 

I'm just a few blocks from the medical district, where most of the victims have been taken. Pretty busy scene over here.

 

Truly a shame. I've got no idea how people even obtain weapons like these.

Is that two broken windows?

Yes, apparently he either had a suite or perhaps adjoining rooms.

I woke up and let my dogs out about 4:30.Heard some sirens and stuff but nothing too unusual. Checked my phone and saw people marking themselves "safe." Thinking what the hell? Then the texts and calls started coming.

 

I'm just a few blocks from the medical district, where most of the victims have been taken. Pretty busy scene over here.

 

Truly a shame. I've got no idea how people even obtain weapons like these.

Gun shows mostly.

Gun shows mostly.

Definitely a lot of those out here.

If it's a legally owned fully automatic weapon, it involves a lengthy background check by ATF (I think, one of the agencies) and a $200 tax stamp, but because of the very limited supply of these weapons, they generally cost high four figures and up. Actual legal automatic weapons being used in crimes in the US is extremely rare.

 

It could also have been an illegally modified store-bought rifle, though.

If it's a legally owned fully automatic weapon, it involves a lengthy background check by ATF (I think, one of the agencies) and a $200 tax stamp, but because of the very limited supply of these weapons, they generally cost high four figures and up. Actual legal automatic weapons being used in crimes in the US is extremely rare.

 

It could also have been an illegally modified store-bought rifle, though.

Its probably a bunch of modified semi's. They sell those to you at gun shows and then you modify them from a youtube video

If it's a legally owned fully automatic weapon, it involves a lengthy background check by ATF (I think, one of the agencies) and a $200 tax stamp, but because of the very limited supply of these weapons, they generally cost high four figures and up. Actual legal automatic weapons being used in crimes in the US is extremely rare.

 

It could also have been an illegally modified store-bought rifle, though.

 

Been seeing claims about possible use of "crank" modifications and "bump" techniques, which apparently would create the inconsistent firing rate heard on the videos. Don't know enough about guns to know if that may be true.

Been seeing claims about possible use of "crank" modifications and "bump" techniques, which apparently would create the inconsistent firing rate heard on the videos. Don't know enough about guns to know if that may be true.

 

You can google search for video examples. Crank firing is like an old-school gatlin gun crank. Bump firing makes the shoulder stock some sort of weird sliding mechanism so the recoil sort of bounces the gun back and forth and you can just keep your finger down but it's technically still semi-automatic because the actual firing mechanism hasn't been changed.

 

WaPo has a profile of what we know about the shooter so far. Given his background (owned two planes, could afford hunting trips to Alaska) it's not inconceivable that he could afford a legal automatic.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-na...efore-massacre/

Latest update from sheriff, 58 dead 500+ injured.

Damn man, glad you are safe.

 

Any idea on what the banging noises were? Wouldn't imagine that the gunshots would be heard audibly in the Aria casino.

 

Who knows, maybe a luggage cart? It was definitely a snowball effect, people assume the worst, so then every small thing gets people startled again, thinking they saw a gunman, everything just gets escalated, it's a crazy situation to be part of.

I woke up and let my dogs out about 4:30.Heard some sirens and stuff but nothing too unusual. Checked my phone and saw people marking themselves "safe." Thinking what the hell? Then the texts and calls started coming.

 

I'm just a few blocks from the medical district, where most of the victims have been taken. Pretty busy scene over here.

 

Truly a shame. I've got no idea how people even obtain weapons like these.

Glad you are safe Shack!

Glad you are safe Shack!

 

If you all want to discuss politics, and I think this is a very valid terror attack to discuss, please do so in the Buster.

 

New thread in Buster

Took a cab to the airport, you can see the Mandalay Bay in the distance, with the one window missing, that's a sobering view.

Horrible. What is wrong with these people. I'm going to be in Vegas Thurs-Saturday. Going to be eery. Prayers out to everyone impacted by this horrific tragedy.

Glad you are safe Shack!

Thanks, Russ.

 

Heard rumors of a school shooting in Pahrump, NV, on the radio, although I haven't been able to find it online.

 

Blood banks are overflowing...6-8 hour wait.

Thanks, Russ.

 

Heard rumors of a school shooting in Pahrump, NV, on the radio, although I haven't been able to find it online.

 

Blood banks are overflowing...6-8 hour wait.

 

They've clarified that there was no shooting.

 

They've clarified that there was no shooting.

Ahh thanks.

Tragic. Very sad about this.

Horrible. What is wrong with these people. I'm going to be in Vegas Thurs-Saturday. Going to be eery. Prayers out to everyone impacted by this horrific tragedy.

My one time in Vegas was two weeks after 9/11. Definitely didn't get the Vegas 'vibe' then. Was pretty empty too, relatively speaking

I woke up and let my dogs out about 4:30.Heard some sirens and stuff but nothing too unusual. Checked my phone and saw people marking themselves "safe." Thinking what the hell? Then the texts and calls started coming.

 

I'm just a few blocks from the medical district, where most of the victims have been taken. Pretty busy scene over here.

 

Truly a shame. I've got no idea how people even obtain weapons like these.

Happy to hear you and your family are safe. When I heard of the shooting I thought my friends that just got back from Vegas, and you.

Horrible. What is wrong with these people. I'm going to be in Vegas Thurs-Saturday. Going to be eery. Prayers out to everyone impacted by this horrific tragedy.

 

One of my good friends is going Thursday as well for a wedding. Be careful out there brother!

Turns out one of the few people still missing / unaccounted for is Christiana Duarte, sister of White Sox prospect Michael Duarte. I put a tweet on the FutureSox feed about it (actually a few). At last reports, late last night, she is still missing. They thought they found her, but it was actually a friend of hers that had her phone and ID for some reason (the friend was shot in the face and is in critical condition at a hospital).

 

 

Turns out one of the few people still missing / unaccounted for is Christiana Duarte, sister of White Sox prospect Michael Duarte. I put a tweet on the FutureSox feed about it (actually a few). At last reports, late last night, she is still missing. They thought they found her, but it was actually a friend of hers that had her phone and ID for some reason (the friend was shot in the face and is in critical condition at a hospital).

 

Jesus. Thoughts and prayers going out to all the victims. This is just inconceivable.

 

EDIT: Matt, is his girlfriend missing too? Seeing stuff on Twitter now about that.

Edited October 3, 20178 yr by SoxAce