At least 59 people have been killed and more than 500 injured in a mass shooting in las vegas, the worst of its kind in modern us history. The gunman was a 64 year old man living in a retirement village, and unknown to the police. The shooting happened during an open air Music Festival attended by thousands of people. Shortly after 10 00pm local time, dozens of rounds were fired from the Mandalay Bay Hotel, as the gunman took aim from the window of his room on the 32nd floor, where he was later found dead by police. He has been named as stephen paddock, who lived in the state of nevada. Police say they have no idea about his possible motives. James cook reports from las vegas. In the cold nevada desert, Country Music is warming the throng. The time is 10 08pm. Gunfire. The noise prompts confusion. The crowd, 22,000 strong, hesitates. It takes a moment, a deadly moment, before they realise they are under attack. Gunfire. By now, a second round of bullets is raining down. There is a pause. The gunman is reloading again. He is high above them, in the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Panic follows. It is a scramble to live. There were people hiding underneath my car for cover. And there was a gentleman that was shot, and he said, can you help me . And so i put him in my car, and i had like six people in my car, people without shoes, running, just to get away. We just hit the ground, and just lay there and hung onto each other. And it was quiet for a bit, and then fired another 30 rounds, and then quiet. And then what we were doing was, every time he stopped, he was reloading, we had gotten up and started making our way towards the fence. And then hed started shooting again, and wed hit the ground. Gunfire. By now, the music fans are frantic. If they can, they run, and like this woman, they hide. We were sitting ducks, and you could hear the bullets coming closer. And then he would and then it would get quiet, and then he would, like, reload, and then he would start going again. And the girl that was standing right behind me, about two feet, she got shot in the stomach. And everybody thought at first it was just firecrackers. And then everybody and then itjust kept going more. We felt the shots, and then we ran. To the hangar, to the airport, and we just kept running. It was. Once we got out the back, we started seeing the people that were shot, and the people that were dead. And thats when it hit me, that this was real. Within half an hour, officers know the gunman is in the hotel. Explosives ready, they prepare to go in. This Police Radio Recording captures the moment they storm the room. Breach, breach, breach. Explosion. By now, it is nearly midnight, and the gunman is dead, apparently having killed himself. He left the city in chaos, with hospitals overwhelmed, and too few ambulances for more than 500 casualties. We just need to get people over to the hospital, 0k . Ok, go ahead. Put them all in the back. Hundreds of people remain in hospital, where surgeons have been battling to save life after life. We had all hands on deck. We had eight or nine trauma surgeons alone in the facility. We had eight operating rooms rolling simultaneously, operating on patients, doing what in trauma we refer to as damage control. So it was a matter of getting them on the table, stopping the process of them dying, stabilising them. As for the gunman, he was stephen paddock, a 64 year old retired accountant from mesquite, an hours drive from the vegas strip. He had checked into the hotel on thursday. As far as his history and background, we havent completed that part of the investigation yet. But we located numerous firearms within the room that he occupied. For a western democracy, the United States has seen an astonishing amount of horror like this. But, even here, this is carnage on a different scale. James cook, bbc news, las vegas. As we heard in that report, the man thought to be responsible for the attack was a 64 year old retired accountant named stephen paddock, who lived in the city of mesquite, 80 miles from las vegas. Police say they have found more weapons at his home, including explosives and thousands of rounds of ammunition. He checked into the Mandalay Bay Hotel last thursday. 0ur correspondent laura bicker reports on what else is known about the gunman. Stephen paddock, a retired accountant and high stakes gambler, turned a Country Music concert into a killing field. He had been in his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Hotel for days, waiting with a cache of rifles and automatic weapons. His familyjust cant comprehend the horror of his crime. My brother did this, i. This is like it was done you know, like he shot us. Imean. If hed have killed my kids, i couldnt be more dumbfounded. I mean, it doesnt. Theres nothing. So last communication. Theres nothing. I can show you the text, he said, hows mum . Where the hell did he get automatic weapons . Hes not he has no military background, or anything like that. I mean, when you find out about him like i said, hes a guy who lived in a house in mesquite, and drove down and gambled in las vegas. He did stuff ate burritos. The 64 year old made few friends in his suburban retirement village in the quiet town of mesquite. Police found more guns and ammunition when they raided his home. Whats unique for us is that the gunman, the shooter, and the person with him, we in the Mesquite Police department have not had any contacts with these people in the past. We havent had any traffic stops, we havent had any Law Enforcement contacts, no arrests, or nothing. He would disappear for days to nearby las vegas to gamble, but also made money from rental properties, and came across as odd to some of his tenants. He roamed around the apartment, he talked to you, always real casual. And they showed his picture. I was shocked, because like i said, he was a nice guy. Strange, but nice. The question is, what would lead a man with no criminal history, no known Strong Political views, and no apparent motive to commit such relentless carnage . Laura bicker, bbc news, mesquite. Dr park dietz is a forensic psychiatrist who has consulted or testified in many of the highest profile criminal cases in the United States. He joins us now from newport beach, in california. Doctor, very good to talk to you. You know the figures, i am sure. More than 270 Mass Shootings in the us this year alone. I think on average more than 169 in dance of gun violence it day. This mass shooting, though, is unusual insta nts. Shooting, though, is unusual instants. It is unprecedented in the body count. This is the worst mass murder in modern us history. And i think something you have been concerned about for quite awhile, this idea of being elevated and just opening fire for extended periods, then reloading, and fiering, and began and again. Yes, i worry about this every new years eve, and have forward a decade firing. Someone taking a high position with a crowd trapped low could randomly fire and have good odds of getting a great many people. Thankfully the security in most major cities that post those celebrations is very tight, but it doesnt make it impossible. And i think that the reason for this high body count is twofold. First, that he had such an elevated position, with a crowd below. Second, that he either had an automatic weapon or simulated the use of one very successfully. We have not seen this previously. It is very rare for fully automatic weapons to be used ina crime. Fully automatic weapons to be used in a crime. Just on that question of the weapons, obviously your speciality is psychiatry, but one of the gunshots is saying all state and federal requirements were met. Yet in nevada, of course, you dont need a permit to via a gun. I am looking at the rules now. You are not required to get a licence or register a gun, there is no limit on the number you can carry and it is legal to own assault weapons and large calibre magazines. That is all true, but its not that you dont have to have any screening. There is a federal regulation requiring an immediate background check, and there are some things that must be done. 0ne also has to claim at least that one hasnt been adjudicated a dangerous mental patient, one hasnt committed a fennel felony, one is a citizen, and so on. And of course people can lie about some of these things and get away with it. What is unusual about nevada is that, for a small fee and a weight of a few months one could obtain, lawfully, a fully automatic weapon wait. It doesnt seem he had done that. You have huge experience with the mindset of people who commit mass killings. At first sight, what do you think was going on here . |j killings. At first sight, what do you think was going on here . I think that we will eventually learn that this man was unhappy with his life, saw no hopeful future, this man was unhappy with his life, saw no hopefulfuture, there this man was unhappy with his life, saw no hopeful future, there was probably some recent loss or crisis that allowed him to feel that it was 0k to die now. And i cant help but believe that, like every other mass murderer, he was blaming other people for his sorrows. Exactly what his sorrows work, or who he blamed, we dont now know. But i think that, when Law Enforcement is finished its investigation, contacted the people he has spoken with, looked at his e mails, looked at what websites he has visited, the story is going to change considerably, and it will then become an understandable story, that nobody knew about until now. Thank you very much indeed. Thank you. The leader of catalonia, carles puigdemont, has said he is not planning a traumatic split with spain after a disputed independence referendum on sunday. He said he wanted a new understanding with the Central Government in madrid, after hundreds of people were injured in violence at polling stations. 0ur europe correspondent Damian Grammaticas reports. Galvanised by what they see as the violence of the spanish state, hundreds took to the streets of barcelona today, hands raised in silent protest at the brutal tactics used by police trying to prevent sundays independence vote. We have no weapons. 0ur weapons are. This is our weapon. Words are our weapon. Catalonia has a history of resisting the spanish state. It is little more than a0 years since spain was a dictatorship. The dangerfor spain is both sides becoming ever more polarised. The government, with its crackdown, looks increasingly remote and heavy handed. But the catalan side, with its tactics, may leave the government with little choice than to believe it had to take action, to prevent what it sees as an illegal bid for independence. The independence leader, carles puigdemont, today called for european mediation and the withdrawal of riot police. But spains prime minister, mariano rajoy, isnt backing down. His government is threatening to revoke catalonias autonomy if it tries to declare independence. This was the Police Response yesterday. Spains constitution forbids secession. And the poll had been banned by the courts. So there could be more to come. But, if anything, it may be hardening the resolve of the two million who voted for independence yesterday. Do you think there is a way catalonia and spain can resolve this now, peacefully, to everybodys satisfaction . I dont really think so. I mean, peacefully . No. Catalonia, home to more than seven million, is one of spains richest regions, with a distinct language and outlook. But it has long felt ignored. And Pro Independence leaders tell people they will be better off without spain. So the cracks in spanish unity are widening. Firefighters applauded today. They tried to protect voters from the police. A general strike is planned tomorrow. Many looking on dont believe it will come to a split. We found these friends enjoying a beer. Serafin said he believes only a third of people support independence. Sundays vote was inconclusive. And jose doesnt believe the promises that a split would make people richer. But, at the heart of spains political crisis, centrifugal forces that are hard to resist the lure for catalans of taking greater control of their destiny. Damian grammaticas, bbc news, barcelona. Stay with us on bbc news. Still to come more on americas worst mass shooting of modern times. We will get the latest live from las vegas. In all russias turmoil, it has never come to this. President yeltsin said the day would decide the nations destiny. The nightmare that so many people have feared for so long is playing out its final act here. Russians are killing russians in front of a grandstand audience. It was his humility which produced affection from catholics throughout the world. But his departure is a tragedy for the catholic church. Israels right winger ariel sharon visited the religious compound and that started the trouble. He wants israel alone to have sovereignty over the holy sites, an idea thats unthinkable to palestinians. After 45 years of division, germany is one. In berlin, a million germans celebrate the rebirth of europes biggest and richest nation. This is bbc news. Our main story this hour. Police investigating sundays mass shooting in las vegas, americas worst in modern times, say they have found more weapons at the home of the man they said carried out the attack. Lets stay with that story now and we can speak to our correspondent Gary Odonoghue in las vegas. Is used grim news. 0ne is used grim news. One thing worse mentioning is the public response, even with the history of Mass Shootings, the line of people queueing to give blood to the hundreds wounded is enormous. Its. There was a big appeal for blood earlier in the day, as you can imagine with 500 plus people injured. Lines were stretching four hours and hours. We havent had an update in the last wild, people clearly did turn out in their numbers and respond to that appeal ina way numbers and respond to that appeal in a way that communities do after these terrible events. They try and rally around. We also know that in the early evening, as we stand here, there are some vigils going on around lossmakers. People will be going to those to get some solace. Trying to understand, in some sense, get some spiritual understanding from their churches and their priests. It shapes places like this. America may well be used to this sort of thing, but you cant get used to it, really, and you certainly cant get used to it on this kind of scale. And in the kind of ritual, extraordinary massacre that took place last night, people we re that took place last night, people were herded into a concert venue, they were mown down by a man from they were mown down by a man from the 32nd floor, he had high calibre automatic weapons and showed no mercy. Thank you very much for that. The attack in las vegas is the latest in a long list of Mass Shootings in america, with the debate over guns once again a divisive issue. 0ur north america editorjon sopel has been looking at the response to what happened in the city. In vegas last night terror, fear and mayhem. In the Nations Capital this afternoon, 2500 miles away a brooding, reflective silence. Bell tolls. There is shock as well as anguish, even though this country has been here so many times before. He brutally murdered more than 50 people and wounded hundreds more. It was an act of pure evil. In moments of tragedy and horror, america comes together as one and it always has. Until now, the worst shootings were the nightclub attack in orlando, where 0mar mateen killed 49 people in an act inspired by so called islamic state. And before that was the killings at Virginia Tech university, when 32 people were killed. But in terms of shock, surely nothing eclipses sandy hook in connecticut, when 20 children, aged between five and seven, and five teachers were killed at their Elementary School an act of brutality so shocking that it moved the then president to tears. They had their entire lives ahead of them. Birthdays, graduations, weddings. Kids of their own. Today, lawmakers from connecticut sought to reopen the age old debate on gun control, senator chris murphy saying, it is positively infuriating that my colleagues in congress are so afraid of the gun industry. Its time for congress to get off its ass and do something. But gun control is unlikely to go anywhere. The industry in america is huge, and its lobbying organisation has managed to see off any attempt at reform. Indeed, one of the ironies of previous Mass Shootings is that sales of weapons tend to increase as gun owners fear that new controls might be introduced. But that is unlikely to happen with president trump, who has allied himself closely to the National Rifle association. As your president , i will never, ever infringe on the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Never, ever. Cheering. Its estimated there are as many private guns in circulation as there are people around 300 million. Around 30,000 people die each year in gun related incidents. That figure includes suicides, accidents and murders, which means, in the last year, four times as many people in the us died from guns than the total number of Coalition Forces killed in afghanistan and iraq during 16 years of war. In his address to the nation, donald trump said the American People would be seeking explanations, but the one issue he didnt touch upon was whether gun control could have played a part. The nra believes that the way you stop a bad man with a gun is to have a good man with a gun. But how that would have helped in the circumstances of las vegas last night is anyones guess. Jon sopel, bbc news, washington. Lets take a look at some of the other stories making the news. One of the fiercest critics of the russian president , vladimir putin, has been sentenced to another twenty days in jail. Alexei navalny was convicted of violating a ban on organising public meetings. Police arrested him in moscow on his way to address a rally. The main palestinian factions, fatah and hamas, have taken a step towards resolving a decade old dispute between them with a rare visit to gaza by the palestinian prime minister. Rami hamdallah said it was time to end a chapter of division among palestinians. Us media is reporting that the singer tom petty is seriously ill in hospital following a cardiac arrest. The 66 year old front man for the group tom petty and the heartbreakers was taken to hospital after being found unconscious at his malibu home on sunday night. Three american scientists who discovered the secret of the body clock have won the nobel prize for physiology or medicine. The body clock, or circadian rhythm, is the reason the human body wants to sleep at night, but it also drives huge changes in behaviour and body function as our medical correspondent fergus walsh reports. Each of us has an internal body clock that synchronises with the sun and the day night cycle. But how these circadian rhythms were controlled was largely a mystery, until the work ofjeffrey hall, Michael Rosbash and michael young. The latter was at Rockefeller University in new york this morning. Hearing they had won the nobel prize, he said, was quite a shock. I really had trouble even getting my shoes on this morning. I would go and pick up the shoes, and then realise i needed socks, and then realise i need to put my pants on first laughter. Just as the earth rotates every 2a hours, so our circadian rhythms work in the same cycle. 119811, the three scientists isolated a gene in fruit flies that controls the body clock. The gene codes for a protein that accumulates in cells during the night and then degrades during the day. Since their discovery, sleep science has gone from fringe to mainstream. The body clock is critical to our health. In the evening, it triggers the release of the hormone melatonin, which helps make us sleepy. In the morning, the stress hormone cortisol rises and keeps us alert. 0ur body clock helps regulate our appetite, Blood Pressure and body temperature. Your body clock is central to much of our biology. Fine tuning much of what we do to the varying demands of the rest activity cycle. We also know that disruption of the body clock, as in long term shift work, for example, is associated with higher rates of cancer, a greater susceptibility to diabetes two, greater chance of obesity. The Nobel Committee said the findings of the three scientists had vast implications for our health and well being. A good nights sleep is increasingly being viewed as the best medicine. Fergus walsh, bbc news. And you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter, im bbcmikeembley. Hello. Further strong winds at times this week, even the risk of gales as we maintain a very autumnal flavour to our weather. This low pressure system was the wind maker on monday. Its Still Producing some strong winds in the far north of scotland and the Northern Isles as tuesday begins. Elsewhere, High Pressure building in, winds easing a bit with High Pressure building in. With High Pressure, most places are going to be dry starting the day, with plenty of sunshine. Heres a look at things, eight oclock in the morning. A few showers dotted about northern and western scotland, driven along quickly on this quite strong wind. Far north of scotland, more epseically into the western isles, there could be some gusts early on of about 50 60 mph. One or two showers in the north west of england, but very few and far between. For most of us, itll be a dry start to the day. A good deal of sunshine. A breezy start, though, with temperatures a bit lower than this outside of the large towns and city centres. Some of us in single figures as the day begins, but there is that sunshine to compensate. Some good sunny spells continuing through the day. Just some patchy cloud developing. Still a few showers running into western parts of scotland, but most places dry. Its a fresh feeling breeze, mind you. Out of some sunshine, in that breeze, there will be a chill around. Temperatures for the most part in the mid to low teens. But, actually, not too far away from average for the time of year. Tuesday evening, tuesday night, well see showers in western scotland merging to give some longer spells of rain in places. Winds starting to pick up once again towards the far north of scotland into 0rkney, a very windy start to wednesday morning. South of this area of rain, well see a lot of clear weather going into wednesday morning. Quite chilly again under clear skies. Some spots into mid, perhaps even low single figures in the countryside. Wednesday brings a band of rain across scotland eventually into parts of northern ireland, mainly north west england as we go through the day. South of that, well hold onto some sunny spells. Still be quite breezy, wont be much warmer. And as we go into wednesday night, rain gathering for northern ireland, parts of Northern England and wales, as this area of low pressure moving across the uk. Parts of scotland seeing it, parts of the far north staying dry, but we are concerned about some of the rain and the impact. It could be quite heavy on wednesday night into thursday morning. Coastal gales. And then as the system clears away from southern parts on thursday, it stays quite windy. A cool wind. Some gales with showers across eastern parts of the uk. Or it could be quite windy for a time on friday. But by friday, theres another area of High Pressure building across the uk. The winds easing, and most places will end the week fine and dry. This is bbc news. The Headlines Police investigating sundays mass shooting in las vegas, americas worst in modern times, say they have found more weapons at the home of the man they said carried out the attack. A local sheriff told journalists they seized 18 guns, explosives, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. The gunman was named as 64 year old wealthy retired accountant stephen paddock. It is claimed he used an automatic weapon to fire on crowds from a las vegas hotel, killing 59 people and injuring more than 500 more. As police stormed his hotel room, he killed himself. President trump has appealed for unity and peace among americans, in response to what he called the pure evil of the shootings in las vegas. Mr trump said the nation was joined together in sadness, shock and grief. He later led a minutes silence in memory of the victims at the white house. Now on bbc news, it is time for hardtalk