Mass shooting in Las Vegas; 59 dead

A single shooter, with no known connections (at this point) to any terrorist group, and with no known disqualification (in our current laws) for owning guns -- took some of his 40 guns, including modified semi-automatic rifles and sniper sights, with him to his 32nd floor hotel room overlooking an open plaza in Las Vegas where a country music festival was going on Sunday night, with 22,000 people in attendance.

This 64 year old man opened fire, using a semi-automatic rifle (the audio clearly broadcast the rapid bam-bam-bam-bam-bam-bam sounds).   At last count 59 are dead and more than 500 injured, making this the largest mass shooting in the history of the U.S.  It's just 16 months since the previous record was set in the Orlando nightclub massacre.

Police found the shooter also dead, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot, after he initially shot at them through the door when they tried to get in.  His brother told reporters that he is completely baffled, that he had no indication whatsoever that would have suggested this.   He said his brother had no history of violence, ever, and that he had no religious beliefs or political leanings. 

The twice-divorced man is said to be good friends with his ex-wives, that he has a girl friend, who is currently out of the country.  He is well-off financially, owning more than one home, and is known in Vegas casinos as a "high roller" gambler, who is considered a privileged customer who gets extra perks, such as room upgrades, to court his patronage.   Apparently he spends much of his time gambling, often winning large sums.

In a warrant-authorized raid on his home in northern Nevada, they found more guns and some home-made explosive devices.   Neighbors, in the upscale housing area of mostly retired people, were shocked at the news.    Records at a local gun shop show that he had made some purchases there and had passed the background check.

So far (Monday, 11 pm) the police have not found anything to suggest a motive.   They have not yet found a phone or laptop or any suicide note or manifesto.   ISIS has claimed responsibility, but they often do that falsely;  and FBI agents seriously doubt it, because the man is so unlike the profile of their usual recruits (in contrast, he is white, age 64, relative wealth, immersed in casinos and gambling);  nor is there any indication of a connection with radical or fringe groups.

He had checked into the hotel several days before.   One wonders why such an arsenal in his room would not have aroused suspicion.   Rachel Maddow did some research and found that these casino-hotels regularly host gun shows, nearly one a week somewhere in the area.  So apparently people with dozens of guns in their rooms is rather commonplace.  Maybe they assumed he was a gun dealer.

At this point, what is there to say -- except the obvious?   Why does anyone need to own guns designed for nothing other than to kill as many people as possible, as quickly as possible?    If we did nothing except change the law that allows such semi-automatic and automatic rifles to be in ordinary people's possession -- then, instead of 59 dead, we might have 2 or 3 dead.

Why don't we at least do that?   Huh, WHY?

Ralph