Lessons of Las Vegas: Threats from Above, Hospitals Overwhelmed

Las Vegas Mandaley Bay
An overhead view shows the scene of a mass shooting, including the front facade of the Mandalay Bay resort and casino, at left, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The massacre at the Las Vegas country music concert last week has left security professionals with a grim new checklist of tactics to watch for: military-style sniper attacks from high above, and casualties so numerous, they overwhelm area hospitals’ ability to treat them.

The shooting last Sunday left 58 dead and more than 500 injured when the man authorities identified as the killer, Stephen Paddock, 64, unleashed a barrage from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Hotel on the Vegas Strip. He then took his own life.

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