拉斯维加斯民众排长队为枪击受害者献血
在发生了美国有史以来最血腥的单人枪击杀人事件的拉斯维加斯,人们排起要等候长达8个小时的长队,为枪击事件的受害者献血。
已被确认为64岁的史蒂芬·帕多克(Stephen Paddock)星期天晚上在有2万2000多人参加的乡村音乐会上肆意射击,警察向他逼近时自杀。
帕多克在室外音乐会场地对面的曼德勒湾酒店娱乐场32层的房间开枪,打死59人,打伤527人。
美国之音记者在拉斯维加斯采访了枪击发生前不久刚送乘客到现场附近的计程车司机施非洛。
施非洛说:“我在枪击发生前大概20分钟送一位客人到曼德勒湾酒店。我本来想在曼德勒湾酒店排队拉客人,但是改变了主意,去了飞机场。我在远处听到好像是自动步枪发射的声音,但根本想不到真的是枪击。太令人震惊了。“
克拉克县的治安长官隆巴多说,除了在酒店房间了发现的16件武器,在帕多克的家里又发现18支枪,以及炸药和成千上万发子弹。
川普总统在白宫南草坪,面向华盛顿纪念碑,带领其他美国官员为枪击事件受害者默哀。
川普总统下令全国联邦机构下半旗,并将于星期三前往拉斯维加斯,会见紧急抢救人员,安慰受害者亲属。他称枪击事件为”不折不扣的邪恶行径“。
很多人受了枪伤,还有不少人在踩踏以及翻墙逃跑时受伤。
警方和联邦调查人员仍然没有查清作案动机。
伊斯兰国组织声称对枪击事件负责,说枪手是他们的一名“战士”,几个月前皈依了伊斯兰教。联邦调查局表示,没有证据表明,帕多克与任何国际恐怖组织有关。
调查人员说,帕多克有一位女友,但是认为她正在东京,没有卷入枪击事件。
帕多克的兄弟埃里克也对帕多克的行为不解。他说,全家人都感到震惊与困惑。
他说,帕多克是一位富人,不知道他与任何党或宗教教派有瓜葛,与白人至上主义者没有联系,也没有精神病史。
埃里克说,他和帕多克的父亲是银行抢劫犯,曾经上过联邦调查局的通缉名单。联邦调查局说他有自杀倾向,是危险人物,但是帕多克和埃里克兄弟两人和他们的父亲并没有联系。
59 Dead, 527 Wounded in Las Vegas Shooting
People are waiting on line for as long as eight hours in Las Vegas to donate blood to the victims of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
A gunman identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nevada opened fire on a crowd of more than 22,000 attending a country music show Sunday night before killing himself as police closed in.
Paddock shot from a hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, located across the street from the outdoor concert. Fifty-nine were killed and 527 wounded.
In Las Vegas, VOA's Elizabeth Lee spoke with a taxi driver who dropped off a passenger minutes before the shooting began.
"I dropped a passenger at the Mandalay Bay (Resort and Casino) like 20 minutes before the shooting happened and I was thinking about getting in line at Mandalay Bay but changed my mind and went to the airport. I did hear, like an automatic gunshot from a distance, but I never thought it would be a gun shooting. (I am) shocked, very shocked," said Las Vegas taxi driver Tamirat Shiferaw.
Clark County, Nevada Sheriff Joe Lombardo says along with the 16 weapons found in the hotel room, 18 more guns, explosives, and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found in Paddock's home in Mesquite.
President Donald Trump led a moment of silence on the South Lawn of the White House, facing the Washington Monument, to remember the victims.
He ordered flags across the country to fly at half staff and will go to Las Vegas Wednesday to meet with first responders and console the victims and their families. The president has called the shooting an "act of pure evil."
Along with gunshot wounds, others were trampled and hurt trying to climb over fences to get away.
Police and federal investigators still do not have a motive.
Islamic State is claiming responsibility, saying the gunman was one of its "soldiers" and converted to Islam months ago. The FBI says there is no evidence Paddock was tied to any international terror group.
Investigators say Paddock had a girlfriend, but believe she is in Tokyo and was not involved.
Paddock's brother, Eric, is just as baffled as police by his motive. He said the family is "horrified and bewildered."
He said his brother was a wealthy man with no known political or religious affiliations, no ties with white supremacists and no history of mental illness.
Eric Paddock also said their father was a bank robber who was at one time on the FBI's most wanted list. The FBI called him psychopathic and dangerous. But that the brothers had no contact with their father.
川普总统周二前往波多黎各视察灾情
美国总统川普星期二前往波多黎各视察猛烈飓风袭击后那里的重建进展。
川普计划会见波多黎各总督罗赛略、军人以及受到飓风灾害的民众。他还计划与美属维京群岛的总督迈普会谈。玛利亚飓风上星期席卷了维京群岛。
川普受到一些批评,说他的政府对飓风灾害反应不力。飓风切断了波多黎各几乎所有电力供应,很多居民断水,缺乏发电机所需的燃油,移动电话服务也中断。
飓风袭击两星期之后,波多黎各总督罗塞略说,大约一半人的供水得以恢复,他希望10月底之前能恢复对四分之一居民的供电。
川普总统为联邦政府的救灾努力辩护。他星期一说,无数的食品和物资送到了波多黎各。
他在白宫对记者说,在短短的时间里做了如此多的工作,实在令人赞叹。
Trump to Visit Puerto Rico to Survey Hurricane Recovery
U.S. President Donald Trump travels Tuesday to Puerto Rico to check on recovery efforts in the U.S. territory after it was hit by a powerful hurricane.
Trump's schedule includes meetings with Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello, military personnel and people impacted by the storm. He is also due to hold talks with Governor Kenneth Mapp of the U.S. Virgin Islands, which were also hit by Hurricane Maria last week.
Trump has faced criticism for his administration's response to the hurricane that knocked out power to most of Puerto Rico and left many people without running water, fuel for generators or cell phone service.
About two weeks since the storm hit, Governor Rossello said water service has been restored to about half of customers and that he hopes 25 percent of people will have electricity by the end of October.
Trump has defended the federal government's efforts, and said Monday a "tremendous" amount of food and supplies have been sent to Puerto Rico.
"It’s been amazing what’s been done in a very short period of time on Puerto Rico," he told reporters at the White House.