On Monday Pope Francis offered his condolences and spiritual support to victims of the deadly shooting in Las Vegas that left at least 59 people dead and hundreds wounded at a country music festival.
“Deeply saddened to learn of the shooting in Las Vegas, Pope Francis sends the assurance of his spiritual closeness to all those affected by this senseless tragedy,” read the 2 October telegram signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Addressed to the Bishop of Las Vegas, Joseph Anthony Pepe, it offered the Pope’s encouragement for the efforts of the police and the emergency services. Francis also offered his prayers “for the injured and all who died, entrusting them to the merciful love of Almighty God.”
In the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, at 10 pm local time on Sunday, a gunman identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, raining bullets on the open-air music festival taking place below.
The Las Vegas Police department estimated that 527 people were hospitalised after the incident. The death toll, which police say is only preliminary, exceeds last year’s massacre at a nightclub in Orlando, which left 49 dead. Paddock reportedly shot himself dead as police tried to enter his room. The police believe he acted alone but remain unsure of his motive.
In an address from the White House, President Donald Trump described the attack as “pure evil”. He praised the work of the emergency services, saying that their “miraculous” speed had saved lives. He announced that he would visit Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Loading ...
