Las Vegas mass shooting: Stephen Paddock massacres at least 59 from window of Mandalay Bay hotel

At least 59 people were shot dead and a further 500 injured on the Las Vegas Strip in what is the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. Videos on social media show people running from the sound of gun fire at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in the area on the night of Sunday 1 October.

Police said the suspect is dead and named the shooter as 64-year-old Stephen C Paddock. There was a manhunt for Paddock's 62-year-old companion, Marilou Danley, who was later located by police and ruled out of the investigation.

Joseph Lombardo, the sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan police said in a short statement that the "primary aggressor is dead ... the scene is static".

The gunman lived with Danley in Mesquite, Nevada, around 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas, and his motives remain unknown. The shooting took place around the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in the heart of the famous gambling and leisure district.

Paddock shot at festivalgoers from a window on the 32nd floor of the hotel. Police used a controlled explosion to gain entry to the room, where the lethal sniper had shot himself dead.. Officers found a number of rifles.

The singer Jason Aldean had been performing when the shooting began. The musicians stopped and then restarted before cancelling the show when further gunfire was heard.

Donald Trump reacted to the news, tweeting: "My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!"

Speaking to CNN, one witness said: "It sounded like a firework show, but it didn't sound normal, it sounded like machine guns and it was several rounds, hundreds of rounds, then it stopped and started again."

David Becker, a photojournalist who was covering the country music festival in Las Vegas for Getty Images, braved gunshots to take photos of the mass shooting. Videos from the scene show people running from the area as well as ducking to the sound of automatic gun fire. Roads are closed or blocked in a lockdown in parts of the strip.

All flights were suspended in and out of McCarran International Airport, the eighth busiest airport in the US, but some flights are now resuming. Twitter user @AustinNolson was at the scene of the shooting and wrote about what happened.

He initially posted a video of the sound of gun fire and afterwards said: "I am okay for now!! Ran into hotel room a few blocks down me and my girl are safe for now!!! Got picked up by brother, shooters everywhere."