2017 Las Vegas shooting

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[[File:VOA Vegas candles.jpg|thumb|alt=It is night time, a crowd of people are gathered around a candle vigil.|People in Las Vegas take part in vigil honoring victims of Mass shooting targeting concert goers at a Country music festival at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, Oct. 2, 2017. (Photo: C. Mendoza / VOA)]]

On October 1, 2017, at the Route 91 Harvest outdoor music festival on the Las Vegas strip, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay resort across the street. He was later found dead in his hotel room with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The attack killed 59 people and injured 527.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/02/have-you-been-affected-by-the-shooting-in-las-vegas Have you been affected by the shooting in Las Vegas?] ''The Guardian''</ref>

==Conspiracy theories==
{{main|Conspiracy theory}}

===Wingnuttery=== 
While the shooter's motive has not yet been disclosed, conspiracy theories were spread by [[far-right]] bloggers that he was a supporter of [[Antifa]] {{---}} due to some skeptical video footage of a man at a [[Donald Trump]] protest alleged to be the shooter {{---}} although this was never proven.

Another belief amongst the far-right is that the shooter carried out the attack because he was an [[atheist]] and country music fans are typically devout [[Christians]], even claiming that [[CNN]] also caused it by "demonizing gun enthusiasts".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007020409/http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2017/10/fox-news-blames-cnn-atheism-las-vegas-massacre/|title=Fox News Blames CNN and Atheism for Las Vegas Massacre|last=Stone|first=Michael|date=October 4, 2017|publisher=[[Patheos]]}}</ref> An essay by [[Conservapedia:Conservative|Conservative]] followed suit, complete with irrelevant pictures such as of [[Stalin]].<ref>[https://rationalwiki.org/w/images/d/de/Capture_1993135952c7c5d68c321c484e1c41bd55d5cac8.jpg A screenshot from before he deleted it.]</ref>

A (false) fringe claim is that the shooter was apparently employed by the [[FBI]] to sell illegal weaponry to DAESH, who then somehow shot him, and that it was a [[false flag operation]]<ref name="FBI+ISIS">[https://politicalvelcraft.org/2017/10/05/las-vegas-plot-thickens-stephen-paddocks-plane-was-owned-by-obama-administration-intelligence-contractor/ Las Vegas Plot Thickens: Stephen Paddock’s Plane Was Owned By Obama Administration Intelligence Contractor] ''Political Vel Craft''</ref> to frame something and something to do with [[Obama]].<ref name="FBI+ISIS"/> Two planes are involved??<ref name="FBI+ISIS"/> We don't understand what the conspiracy blogs are alleging either.

===Security guard===
[[Tucker Carlson]] accused Latino security guard Jesus Campos<ref>[https://www.salon.com/2017/10/26/tucker-carlson-pushes-conspiracy-theories-on-las-vegas-mass-shooting/ Tucker Carlson pushes conspiracy theories on Las Vegas mass shooting] by Taylor Link. ''Salon''</ref> of being involved in the shooting. In reality, Campos led the police to the shooter and was shot in the leg.<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/las-vegas-guard-jesus-campos-back-work-mandalay-bay-hotel-698163 Las Vegas Guard Jesus Campos Is Back to Work at Mandalay Bay Hotel After Shooting] by Robert Valencia. ''Newsweek''</ref>

===Medical woo===
There are some cranks that apparently think that Valium, an anti-anxiety drug, has been the cause of every significant mass shooting since 1993.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.naturalnews.com/039752_mass_shootings_psychiatric_drugs_antidepressants.html|title=<Every mass shooting over last 20 years has one thing in common... and it's not guns|last=Adams|first=Mike|date=April 2, 2013|publisher=[[NaturalNews]]}}</ref> Unsurprisingly, this "[[Mental illness denial|blame the psychopharmaceutical drugs]]" explanation has also been used to explain away the 2017 Las Vegas shooting.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/kirstie-alleys-bizarre-theory-mass-11284223|title=Kirstie Alley's bizarre theory about US mass shootings following Las Vegas massacre sparks HUGE debate about psychiatric drugs|last=Gibb|first=Jessica|date=October 4, 2017|publisher=Mirror}}</ref>

===DAESH===
{{main|DAESH}}
DAESH claimed that the shooter was a convert to [[Islam]] and was acting as a "soldier for the Islamic State". Notably, they said this without any evidence, and most investigators have dismissed their attempt to take credit, coming amidst the collapse of their self-styled "[[caliphate]]", as a desperate cry of "look at me, I'm still relevant!"<ref>Wood, Graeme. [https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/10/isis-amaq-las-vegas/541746/ "Why Did the Islamic State Claim the Las Vegas Shooting?"] ''The Atlantic'', 2 October 2017 (recovered 7 October 2017).</ref><ref>Smith, Saphora. [https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/las-vegas-shooting/las-vegas-shooting-isis-claim-responsibility-sign-desperation-say-experts-n807076 "Las Vegas Shooting: ISIS Claim of Responsibility Is Sign of Desperation."] ''NBC News'', 3 October 2017 (recovered 7 October 2017).</ref> Conspiracy theorists are, of course, eating those claims right up.{{nofact}}

Several [[wingnuts]] have jumped into the crazy car with this, including [[alt-right]] [[Laura Loomer]], [[conservative talk radio]] host [[Wayne Allyn Root]], [[Alex Jones]] (of course), and US Representative ([[Pennsylvania]]) Scott Perry.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/01/19/channeling-conspiracy-theory-congressman-says-las-vegas-attack-linked-to-possible-terrorist-nexus/ Channeling conspiracy theory, congressman says Las Vegas attack linked to 'possible terrorist nexus'] by Kyle Swenson (January 19) ''The Washington Post''.</ref>

===YouTube "censorship"===
[[YouTube]] filters out conspiracy theories when searching the Las Vegas shooting on its website.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/youtube-tweaks-its-search-results-after-rise-of-las-vegas-conspiracy-theories-1507219180|title=YouTube Tweaks Search Results as Las Vegas Conspiracy Theories Rise to Top|last=Nicas|first=Jack|date=October 5, 2017|publisher=The [[Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> [[Infowars]], being a conspiracy-nut website, called it [[censorship]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171006115414/https://www.infowars.com/youtube-tweaks-search-results-as-las-vegas-conspiracy-theories-rise-to-top/ "YouTube Tweaks Search Results as Las Vegas Conspiracy Theories Rise to Top"] - Infowars (October 7, 2017). Archived.</ref>

===False flag===
Just like many similar tragedies, the shooting was alleged to be a [[hoax]] by the government [[false flag|designed as a pretext for confiscating privately-owned guns]].<ref name="patheos"/> Screw the fact that [[Donald Trump|Trump]] was President and [[Republicans]] controlled [[Congress]] at the time of the shooting.<ref>[https://ballotpedia.org/115th_United_States_Congress 115<sup>th</sup> United States Congress] ''Ballotpedia''</ref> Screw the fact that no such confiscation has, in fact, taken place. The usual suspects, including [[Kent Hovind]], cried [[False flag operation|"false flag!"]].<ref name="patheos">[https://web.archive.org/web/20171007231651/http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/10/07/creationist-the-vegas-massacre-was-a-false-flag-to-take-away-our-guns/ Creationist: The Vegas Massacre Was a “False Flag” To Take Away Our Guns] and [https://projectcamelotportal.com/2017/10/05/war-of-worlds-pirates-of-mandalay-bay-and-illuminati-versus-u-s-navy/ ''War of Worlds: Pirates of Mandalay Bay : Illuminati versus U.S. Navy?''] —Project Camelot, 5 October 2017</ref> Sadly, as with the [[Sandy_Hook_massacre#Harassment|Sandy Hook massacre]], they started harassing the survivors and accusing them of being [[crisis actor]]s.<ref name="sandy 2.0">Levin, Sam. [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/26/las-vegas-shooting-conspiracy-theories-social-media "'I hope someone truly shoots you': online conspiracy theorists harass Vegas victims."] ''[[The Guardian]]'', 26 October 2017 (recovered 28 October 2017).</ref>

==Gun rights==
As with previous massacres using guns, the [[right]] including conservative pundits such as David Wohl talked about how it shouldn't be politicized,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/3/16405052/mass-shooting-politicize-gun-violence|title=Lawmakers can’t do anything about mass shootings without politicizing them|last=Lopez|first=German|date=October 3, 2017|publisher=Vox}}</ref> even though President Trump turned [[Hurricane]] Maria into an excuse to blast [[Puerto Rico]] less than a week earlier.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/09/30/trump_criticizes_devastated_puerto_rico_they_want_everything_done_for_them.html|title=Trump Criticizes Devastated Puerto Rico: “They Want Everything Done for Them”|last=Politi|first=Daniel|date=September 30, 2017|publisher=Slate}}</ref>

Paradoxically, after a shooting, gun laws are actually '''loosened''' in some places.<ref>[https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/10/more-killings-more-guns/541905/ Mass Shootings Don't Lead to Inaction—They Lead to Loosening Gun Restrictions] by David Frum. ''The Atlantic''</ref> Sales of bump stocks, a firearm accessory that converts a semi-automatic rifle to automatic, took a sharp increase up after Las Vegas shooting.<ref name="bumpstock"/> This is, no doubt, was a rush to purchase ahead of a predicted federal bump stock ban, which materialized on March 26, 2019<ref>[https://www.atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/bump-stocks ATF Changes Regulations to make bumpstocks illegal ]</ref> after Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker instructed the ATF to categorize the device as a "machine gun."

===Harassment===
A man in Arizona endured death threats, a harassment campaign, and [[doxxing]]s from [[extremist]] [[gun nuts]] because he gave his guns over to the police.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/10/09/death-threats-man-turned-over-guns-police/746585001/ Man gets death threats after turning guns over to police] by Cydney Henderson. ''USA Today''</ref> The inventor of the bump stock has received death threats, lawsuits, and had his children's lives endangered from [[gun control]] extremists.<ref name="bumpstock">[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-11/the-bump-stock-millionaire-and-the-las-vegas-massacre The Making of a Millionaire and a Massacre] by By Michael Smith and Polly Mosendz. ''Bloomberg''</ref>

==Tragedy==
<gallery>
File:VOA Vegas shooting sign.jpg|Candles surround a sign that says "Pray for our city". The sign's painted background is a starry night sky with some buildings.
File:VOA Vegas Strong sign.jpg|In the background, there seems to be an endless number of candles glowing in the night. The foreground has a bouquet of white roses with a piece of paper that says "Vegas Strong". Under the text, there is a doodle of some city buildings.
File:VOA men holding banner Vegas.jpg|Men hold a blue banner in the dark that says "Love for all. Hatred for none."
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Robert Morningstar]]
*[[Kerry Cassidy]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Civilian gun massacres]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theories]]

Categories: Civilian gun massacres, Conspiracy theories