Las Vegas shooter recently transferred about $100,000 to the Philippines: What we know now

A gunman opened fire on a country music festival in Las Vegas on Sunday evening, leaving at least 59 people dead including the gunman and injuring more than 500 near the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino. Here is what we know:

What is the latest information on the shooter?

Stephen Craig Paddock, a 64-year-old resident of Mesquite, Nev., was named by police as the shooter. Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo later said Paddock killed himself as police broke into his room at the Mandalay Bay, which he was believed to have occupied since Sept. 28. “We are completely dumbfounded,” said Eric Paddock, a brother who lives in central Florida. Later, it was revealed that the brothers' deceased father was a bank robber who had been on the FBI's most-wanted list in the 1960s.

How did the shooter obtain his arsenal?

Police have not detailed the type of weapons Paddock used in the attack. Gun owners in Nevada don't need a permit to buy or possess a rifle, shotgun or handgun, according to the National Rifle Association. Nevadans can even purchase machine guns or silencers, banned in other states, as long as they're within federal compliance. At least some of his arsenal was purchased legally at Guns & Guitars in Mesquite, Nev. “He passed every federal background check, every time he bought a gun,’’ owner Janis Sullivan, 67, told USA TODAY. Paddock also is believed to have purchased a number of weapons at Cabela’s in Verdi, Nev., a federal law enforcement official said.

How was the gunman able to fire so rapidly?

While witnesses reported fast shooting, the pattern and inconsistent rate of gunfire signaled to experts that the weapons might have been semiautomatic, which require a separate trigger pull for each round, rather than an automatic that would continue to fire while the trigger was depressed. Sheriff Lombardo confirmed that some of the shooter's arsenal was legally modified with technology known as a "bump-stock'' that allows for rapid firing, similar to a machine gun. Paddock could have had automatic weapons, which require a special permit that requires fingerprinting and federal approval. He could have also used widely available trigger cranks on a semiautomatic weapon that would have allowed him to fire nearly 700 rounds per minute.

How many victims are there?

Sheriff Lombardo said at least 59 people including the gunman were killed and about 527 people had been injured. Local hospitals were reportedly overwhelmed with victims. The first victim to be named was Sonny Melton, 29, a nurse from Tennessee. "He saved my life," his wife, Heather Melton, said. "He grabbed me from behind and started running." Then, she said, "I felt him get shot in the back." Other victims described the scene as a war zone.

Did the shooter have any accomplices?

"Right now, we believe it's a sole actor, a lone-wolf-type actor," said Lombardo, adding that a motive for the shooting had yet to be determined. The sheriff also said police had questioned a "person of interest," Marilou Danley, the suspect's roommate, and determined she was not involved in the shooting. Later, Lombardo said Danley is out of the country and that authorities would speak further with her when she returned to the U.S. A person connected to her said she is in the Philippines. 

Was this an act of terrorism?

At a press conference, Aaron Rouse, chief of the FBI’s Las Vegas office, said the agency had found "no connection" between Paddock and terror organizations. Earlier, Sheriff Lombardo described Paddock as "a distraught person" intent on causing mass casualties. The Islamic State on Monday claimed responsibility, saying that the perpetrator was “a soldier” who had converted to Islam months ago. However, the group, which often claims attacks by individuals inspired by its message but with no known links to the group, provided no evidence to support its assertion.

How does the U.S. compare to other countries when it comes to gun violence?

The United States is in a class of its own when it comes to gun homicides. The U.S. saw on average 8,592 gun homicides each year — 2.7 gun homicides for every 100,000 people — between 2010 and 2015, according to data from the Small Arms Survey, a Geneva-based organization that tracks guns. That’s more than five times the rate of neighboring Canada, with 0.5 per 100,000, and more than 10 times that of the Netherlands and France, with 0.2 per 100,000 people. Germany and Spain have an even lower rate, with 0.1 per 100,000 people. 

Where did the incident happen?

The shooting took place in an open area across the Las Vegas Strip from the Mandalay Bay, a giant casino-hotel, where the three-day Route 91 Harvest festival started Friday. Country superstar Jason Aldean, recently named 2017 Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, was on stage playing to an estimated 22,000 people when the shooting began at 10:08 p.m. local time. He was not injured.

How many weapons were found?

According to police, the gunman fired from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, which overlooks the venue. At least 23 weapons were found in his hotel room, Clark County Assistant Sheriff Todd Fasulo said. The arsenal included semiautomatic rifles, scopes and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Authorities also searched Paddock's home and found even more weapons — 19 firearms, explosives and unidentified electronic devices as well as thousands of rounds of ammunition.

What else do we know about Stephen Paddock?

Paddock was a retired accountant with a taste for high-stakes poker who had moved to his home in Mesquite, Nev., in 2015. He recently transferred about $100,000 to the Philippines, although investigators are uncertain if the transaction will lead to a motive. The gunman had a long career owning and managing apartment complexes and also worked for the predecessor company of aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin from 1985 to 1988, the company said in a statement. Paddock lived in an upscale retirement community of about 1,400 homes called Sun City Mesquite by Del Webb. His home in Mesquite is assessed at more than $353,000, according to property tax records.

How does this mass shooting compare with others in the U.S.?

With at least 59 dead including the gunman, the incident is the worst mass shooting in modern American history. The prior mass shooting with the highest death toll was an attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., in June 2016 in which 49 people were killed and 58 injured.

How did President Trump react to the incident?

In a television statement midmorning on Monday, Trump called the attack "an act of pure evil" and called for national unity. He also announced he would be flying to Las Vegas on Wednesday to meet with officials, first-responders, victims and victims' families. Earlier, he tweeted his condolences.