The Vegas, Nevada — Two people were killed and at least six others were injured Thursday in what Las Vegas police called a series of unprovoked stabbings in the city’s popular tourist hub.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said its officers responded to a multiple-victim stabbing attack outside a casino in the 3100 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard around 11:42 a.m.
This block comprises notable casino properties such as Resorts World Las Vegas, Wynn, and Encore Las Vegas, as well as a nearby shopping area.
LVMPD initially tweeted that at least six victims were immediately located, one of whom was pronounced dead.
The police department later tweeted that other victims were being transported to area hospitals with an unknown degree of injuries.
In a subsequent briefing with reporters, the LVMPD raised the death toll to two people and the number of injured to six, three of whom are in critical condition. One victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while a second died at University Medical Center.
A suspect was arrested and the police closed the roads to search for evidence.
Police said the unidentified suspect had a significant amount of blood on his sleeves at the time of the arrest.
Police have not yet identified a motive but believe a large kitchen knife was used to carry out the attacks. They added that the scene is safe and there is no further danger to the public.
Stabbings committed on half a block of Strip, police say
At a mid-afternoon briefing at LVMPD headquarters, police leaders illustrated what appeared to be a trail of crime on the sidewalks, typically packed with tourists and local outdoor performers trying to make money.
The initial stabbing was unprovoked and occurred on the sidewalk next to the Wynn Hotel, Deputy Chief James LaRochelle said.
The suspect, whom LaRochelle described as a Hispanic man in his 30s who recently visited the city, continued south, leaving five additional victims at different points.
The man then walked off the Strip onto a street next to the Palazzo hotel-casino, where another victim was injured, LaRochelle said. All of this happened while concerned citizens followed him.
The rampage continued until a security guard and police officer apprehended the man within minutes outside the Palazzo’s parking lot entrance, Sheriff Joe Lombardo added.
Police said the suspect identified himself verbally, but they were still working to confirm his name.
The police department also released video showing the man running away amid the chaos he allegedly caused.
‘Showgirls’ taking photos among victims, passersby say
The sheriff said the victims were a mix of Las Vegas locals and tourists.
Witnesses told Las Vegas television stations that the stabbings occurred at multiple locations and that some of the victims appeared to be showgirls taking photos with tourists on the Strip.
Pierre Fandrich told KTNV he didn’t see the stabbing suspect while walking down the Strip. But he said he thought he heard “three or four chorus girls laughing,” though it turned out to be a scream.
Fandrich said he saw “a lot of blood” as a woman ran across the bridge, one was on the ground and another had a stab wound to her back while trying to help the fallen woman.
Fandrich also told KTNV that he thought one of the victims fell off the bridge because there was a lot of blood on the ground.
Mass stabbings come days after grim anniversary
The mass crime event comes five days after the area marking five years since a gunman shot at country music festival attendees from a high-rise hotel on Oct. 1, 2017.
The incident left 58 dead, making it the deadliest mass shooting in US history.
FULL COVERAGE: 2017 Las Vegas Mass Shooting
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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