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| Las Vegas shooter may have planned other attacks | Las Vegas shooter may have planned other attacks |
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| The Las Vegas gunman who carried out America’s deadliest mass shooting may have planned additional attacks including a car bombing, it was reported on Friday. | The Las Vegas gunman who carried out America’s deadliest mass shooting may have planned additional attacks including a car bombing, it was reported on Friday. |
| Stephen Paddock had 1,600 rounds of ammunition in his car as well as fertiliser that can be used to make explosives and 50 pounds of Tannerite, a substance used in explosive rifle targets. A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that Paddock bought 1,000 rounds of tracer ammunition, bullets containing a pyrotechnic charge that illuminates their path, a month ago from a private seller he met at a Phoenix gun show. | |
| The 64-year-old strafed a crowd from his suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas on Sunday night, killing 58 people and injuring nearly 500 at an outdoor country music festival. | The 64-year-old strafed a crowd from his suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas on Sunday night, killing 58 people and injuring nearly 500 at an outdoor country music festival. |
| A federal official told the AP authorities were examining whether Paddock intended to carry out further attacks, although his motive remained a mystery and he killed himself before police stormed his room. A note found there contained numbers and was not a manifesto or suicide note, police said. | A federal official told the AP authorities were examining whether Paddock intended to carry out further attacks, although his motive remained a mystery and he killed himself before police stormed his room. A note found there contained numbers and was not a manifesto or suicide note, police said. |
| Investigators were also examining the possibility that Paddock considered targeting three other concerts or sporting events. He booked rooms overlooking the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago in August and Life Is Beautiful in Las Vegas late last month. | Investigators were also examining the possibility that Paddock considered targeting three other concerts or sporting events. He booked rooms overlooking the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago in August and Life Is Beautiful in Las Vegas late last month. |
| On Friday, Boston police commissioner William Evans said the FBI told him agents found evidence that Paddock scouted sites in and around Fenway Park and the Boston Center for the Arts. | On Friday, Boston police commissioner William Evans said the FBI told him agents found evidence that Paddock scouted sites in and around Fenway Park and the Boston Center for the Arts. |
| Long associated with gambling and hedonism, Las Vegas continues to mourn. On Thursday afternoon retired carpenter Greg Zanis, who had driven nearly 2,000 miles from the Chicago area, put up 58 white crosses on the Vegas strip – one for each each of the victims. That evening, thousands gathered to honour police officer Charleston Hartfield, an Iraq war veteran who died in the hail of gunfire. | Long associated with gambling and hedonism, Las Vegas continues to mourn. On Thursday afternoon retired carpenter Greg Zanis, who had driven nearly 2,000 miles from the Chicago area, put up 58 white crosses on the Vegas strip – one for each each of the victims. That evening, thousands gathered to honour police officer Charleston Hartfield, an Iraq war veteran who died in the hail of gunfire. |
| Pressure for political action continues to grow. The National Rifle Association (NRA) – which fiercely opposed moves to tighten gun control laws after the June 2016 Orlando massacre and other mass shootings – has backed congressional Republican leaders in a surprise endorsement of a minor gun restriction. | Pressure for political action continues to grow. The National Rifle Association (NRA) – which fiercely opposed moves to tighten gun control laws after the June 2016 Orlando massacre and other mass shootings – has backed congressional Republican leaders in a surprise endorsement of a minor gun restriction. |
| “Bump stocks”, devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to function more like fully automatic weapons, sometimes firing 400 to 800 rounds in a minute, were found in Paddock’s hotel room. The NRA said bump stocks should be “subject to additional regulations”. | “Bump stocks”, devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to function more like fully automatic weapons, sometimes firing 400 to 800 rounds in a minute, were found in Paddock’s hotel room. The NRA said bump stocks should be “subject to additional regulations”. |
| This gave political cover to Donald Trump, a strong NRA ally. Ahead of a meeting with senior military leaders on Thursday night, a reporter asked if bump stocks should be banned. The president replied: “We’ll be looking into that over the next short period of time.” | This gave political cover to Donald Trump, a strong NRA ally. Ahead of a meeting with senior military leaders on Thursday night, a reporter asked if bump stocks should be banned. The president replied: “We’ll be looking into that over the next short period of time.” |
| A growing chorus of top Republicans expressed support. More than a dozen Republican senators reportedly said they were open to the idea. The House speaker, Paul Ryan, an avid hunter, told reporters in Chestertown, Maryland: “Obviously we need to look at how we can tighten up the compliance with this law so that fully automatic weapons are banned.” | A growing chorus of top Republicans expressed support. More than a dozen Republican senators reportedly said they were open to the idea. The House speaker, Paul Ryan, an avid hunter, told reporters in Chestertown, Maryland: “Obviously we need to look at how we can tighten up the compliance with this law so that fully automatic weapons are banned.” |
| But many gun control campaign groups regard the move against bump stocks as little more than a fig leaf, allowing Republicans to claim they are taking action when in fact they are still falling well short of the necessary legislation. | But many gun control campaign groups regard the move against bump stocks as little more than a fig leaf, allowing Republicans to claim they are taking action when in fact they are still falling well short of the necessary legislation. |
| Robert Spitzer, chairman of the political science department at SUNY Cortland, who watches the gun industry closely, told the AP: “It’s a pretty small concession in the realm of gun stuff. We’re not talking about banning assault weapons here. It’s a very specific accessory.” | Robert Spitzer, chairman of the political science department at SUNY Cortland, who watches the gun industry closely, told the AP: “It’s a pretty small concession in the realm of gun stuff. We’re not talking about banning assault weapons here. It’s a very specific accessory.” |
| Even a ban on bump stocks is far from guaranteed, as past reactions to shootings have notoriously run out of steam amid political wrangling over details. | Even a ban on bump stocks is far from guaranteed, as past reactions to shootings have notoriously run out of steam amid political wrangling over details. |
| The NRA called for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to address bump stocks by regulation, rather than opening up the issue to the legislative process. Two Republicans, congressmen Adam Kinzinger and Mike Gallagher, are gathering bipartisan signatures for a letter asking the bureau to take this path. | The NRA called for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to address bump stocks by regulation, rather than opening up the issue to the legislative process. Two Republicans, congressmen Adam Kinzinger and Mike Gallagher, are gathering bipartisan signatures for a letter asking the bureau to take this path. |
| But Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate judiciary committee, warned that this will leave a crucial loophole and called for legislation rather than mere regulatory reform. | But Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate judiciary committee, warned that this will leave a crucial loophole and called for legislation rather than mere regulatory reform. |
| “As far as we know, the Las Vegas shooter passed background checks and legally purchased his weapons,” she said. “That means merely regulating bump stocks wouldn’t have necessarily prevented the gunman from outfitting his weapons as he did. | “As far as we know, the Las Vegas shooter passed background checks and legally purchased his weapons,” she said. “That means merely regulating bump stocks wouldn’t have necessarily prevented the gunman from outfitting his weapons as he did. |
| “Legislation would make crystal clear that Congress is banning all devices that allow a weapon to achieve an automatic rate of fire, regardless of how a weapon is altered. Such legislation can and will save lives, and Congress should act immediately.” | “Legislation would make crystal clear that Congress is banning all devices that allow a weapon to achieve an automatic rate of fire, regardless of how a weapon is altered. Such legislation can and will save lives, and Congress should act immediately.” |