Several members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department were reportedly injured in a mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nev. on Sunday night, Oct. 1.
Names of those affected were not released by the agencies by the time The Malibu Times went to print Tuesday night, out of respect for the victims’ privacy, according to information provided by the LASD and LACo Fire.
The attack, in which a lone gunman fired from above into a crowded concert, was classified as a terrorist attack under the definition provided by the State of Nevada, although as of press time there was no known motive for the gunman.
More than 500 individuals were injured in the attack that killed at least 59, after a lone gunman, later identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nev., used several weapons to fire on a massive crowd at the Route 91 Harvest Festival from a suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. The attack is recognized as the largest mass shooting in recent United States history.
It was unknown as of Tuesday evening whether any Malibu residents or emergency personnel stationed in Malibu were injured at the festival, although unconfirmed information shared with The Malibu Times indicated a number of Malibu residents were in attendance at the music festival and were at the concert on Sunday when the shooting began. Attempts to confirm details were not successful by Tuesday night.
Separate statements from the LASD and LACo Fire Department indicated personnel were receiving medical treatment.
“Two members of the LASD were hit by gunfire. Both were transported to a local hospital, where one remains in critical condition and the other is in stable condition,” information provided by sheriff’s spokespeople on Monday stated. An LASD public information officer said there was no update available by Tuesday afternoon.
A statement released by LACoFD said three of its members had sustained injuries during the attack.
“The Los Angeles County Fire Department is confirming that several off-duty members were in attendance at the Oct. 1 Route 91 Harvest Music Country Festival in Las Vegas, Nev., when a gunman opened fire on the crowd,” the statement, published Monday, read. “Preliminary information indicates that three LACoFD members were struck by gunfire and sustained nonlife-threatening injuries. Due to privacy concerns, the names of those members will not be released.”
Both departments urged “vigilance” from members of the public.
“The LACoFD encourages the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity or potential threats to their local law enforcement agency,” the fire department said. “This incident is a stark reminder that ‘If You See Something, Say Something.’”
Other sheriff’s deputies, police officers and firefighters from Southern California were injured in the attack, according to information published in the LA Times. Those include two members of the Los Angeles City Fire Department, one Orange County sheriff’s deputy, a Bakersfield police officer, an Ontario police officer and a Torrance Fire Department employee.
