good morning, everyone. it's tuesday, october 3. i'm ayman mohyeldin. alongside jasmine this morning. investigators are industrial trying to figure out why. why did 64-year-old steven paddock open fire on a crowd killing 59 and injuring more than 500 others. >> this video came in overnight searching the hotel room before police recovered 23 guns from a room and another 19 in mesquite, nevada. most of what we know about the gunman came from his brother who

spoke several times. >> he's definitely only himself. there's no affiliations. once again, that i know of. there's no affiliation. there's no church. there's no religion. there's no politics. there's no anything. >> have you had any issues with mental illness in the past. >> no. no mental illness. once again that i know of. >> from what i know, he was perfectly fine. he had substantial wealth. he was a multimillionaire. he had multiple million dollars. okay. >> i mean our condolences to everyone. we just don't understand. it's like an asteroid just fell out of the sky. we have no reason, rime, rational, excuse, there's just

nothing. >> let's go to las vegas. ron allen standing by for us. good to talk to you again this morning. big question on everybody's mind. why. what more are rewe leawe learni the motive here. >> we're not learning much. the brother of paddock, as you heard, said he had no idea. it doesn't sound like he knew his brother very well. obviously there was something very wrong and troubling going on in this individual's head to cause him to do this horrific thing. we really just don't know. there's no -- police say they haven't found anything on social media they're going to reveal to us yet about explaining this. no note. no manifesto. sometimes these shooters do -- he doesn't seem to have a link to any organization. doesn't seem to be politically motivated. no evidence of that.

the fact of the matter is that every time this happens, we try to find some logical explanation for it. how do you explain the unthinkable. how do you explain something so horrific. shooting down into a crowd of 22,000 people. innocent people. we've seen all kinds of mass shootings in america. this takes it to a completely different level that's just incomprehensible. stand here and think about what was going on in this neighborhood, this area. just 24 hours ago. we have no idea what the motive is. we may never know what the motive is. that's what police are trying to figure out. who sold the weapons. how he acquired them. talking to his girlfriend in mesquite for some time.

not thought to be a suspect. not completely out of the woods in terms of being implicated in some way. what did she know about the weaponry and explosive material in the home. what was that going to be used for. what did the guy say in the days leading up to this. where did he go. who did he associate with. it's a horrific mystery with a lot of unanswered questions. >> let me ask you about the timeline. what have we learned about the timeline both of the duration of the shooting from the time the calls came in until the time he was nueutralized, but more importantly the last three days. did we learn anything since he checked in on thursday. what did we learn over that window. >> we know he had a hotel suit. two rooms. pointed over the direction of this concert. whether that was done

intentionally, we don't know. we have not seen surveillance video. hotels and casinos are monitored 24/7. there's got to be pictures of him coming and going. i'm sure there are teams of authorities, police investigators combing over that to try to see what was he carrying in and out. when. why wasn't that noticed. as far as timeline of events, shots began around 10:00 p.m. at night. miraculously the authorities were able to get to the room where me is and he's subdued, we think he took his own life, within some 72 minutes. just over an hour. when you look at the huge geography, that's quite heroic. we know how long it took from the beginning to the end of the shooting. now the horror continues to unfold. >> nbc's ron allen for us. thank you for joining us. besides the 527 wounded,

also learning a lot more about the 59 that were killed. victims coming from all along the country. 34-year-old carry bar nnette li romero was remembered as someone who was there for them. and her mother told spokane washington she volunteered with the homeless and elderly. hit along with a colleague of

the manhattan beach police department who survived. >> debby allen went with her son. arrived separately and watched the concert apart. imagine how scary that was as she tried to find him. veteran of the woar in afghanistan. >> i was trying to run towards wherever i thought he might be. and this man wouldn't let me. kept pulling me and said you can't run towards the gunfire. >> how did you hear the details about what happened to your son. >> from the man who was with him. from the fireman walking behind him. he said i was hit. i'm hit. he bent down again when the gunfire again and then my son just fell down. he had a shirt with a gunshot through it. he sat on a lot of bombs and never blew him up.

and. >> in afghanistan. >> yes. >> and he was a proud american. he sang in spanish. he sang in spanish all the time. he was so beautiful. >> it's just absolutely heart breaking. joining us now live from the university medical center, only trauma one medical center in the state, nbc news, kevin. tibbles

tibbles. >> reporter: tlrn some messages sent out. unless it's life threatening, don't bring them here. at the same time, 500 plus injured. almost 60 now that we know of who have lost their lives. there still are dozens of critically injured people inside these hospitals right now that are being cared for by the medical staff. and i'm not so sure that the people who were doing the life saving last night probably have even been able to fathom what it is that they have done. what has happened to their city. kevin i believe thetibble all of those names are attached to people. those people used to be with us. of course they had family and friends. this is just going to continue to circle far beyond the borders of las vegas because las vegas is the place that everybody

comes to. i think that there is going to be a lot of counseling required, not only for family members and friends, but for the people who work in these hospital wards right behind me here. >> oftentimes like this with such tragic losses, today you're reacting, but it's the weeks and months from now when the silence creeps in when you really takes off what has taken place. >> absolutely. the medical staff, i'm sure they go into like not auto pilot, but go into adrenaline mode. afterwards, when the exhaustion hits, it must be tough. >> i know doctors are being allowed to come to nevada to help with the on slot of people coming to the area. how are they being organized to help at maximum capacity. >> what we understand is that

there has been a call put out for stance. and when i first heard it, i sort of thought like what they do with forest fires in the west and other places. put out a call and firefighters from across the country come in. i guess that's what is going to happen with the triage type situation they have in vegas. is that if there are doctors out there, i'm assuming they have made themselves known. other hospitals, perhaps sister hospitals in other parts of the state or country and those doctors will come here because there is a doctor shortage here at this moment in time. >> it's going to be a long road of recovery for the families as well as the staff at many of these hospitals. back to it will vegas strip. getti i getting back to some resemblance of normal. really only 24 hours after it's taking place is going to get back to feeling like vegas.

blake blake mccoy is on the strip now. blake, what are you hearing. >> you can see the last remaining closed section of the strip in front of mandalay bay and lux or isor. all around them they are finding reminders of what happened. >> reporter: vegas is a city built around escaping reality. now reality has found it. >> everybody is very, very quiet. i find. compared to yesterday. it's very dichfferent. >> a noticeably somber mood as tourists return to the las vegas strip after many spent the night on lock down in hotel rooms. we just sat still. we could see mandalay bay from our hotel room. we could see the lights and ambulance going. >> police officers have replaced street performers. bellagio fountain sits quiet.

gone quiet. it's a stark change in tone for a city glamourized for fun where anything goes. vegas headliners offering words of condolences. jennifer lopez writing las vegas feeling so broken this morning. celine dion saying she is praying for innocent victims and family. it's been nearly a decade since a tragedy of this magnitude struck the strip. the mgm fire killed 85 people and led to major overhaul of fire codes. long-term impact of this tragedy remains to be scene. already a community responding. huge lines to donate blood. >> thank you for your support. >> outpouring of gratitude. >> what are they saying. >> just thanking us. >> most of the shows here on the las vegas strip went dark last

night out of respect for the victims. the big test will come tonight, whether those show resume. the biggest show that is scheduled to take place tonight is celine dion's concert. she has not yet indicated she will cancel it. >> i know you've been talking to a lot of the tourists. has the events changed people's perception that a city as you mentioned in your report, las vegas is noun as a tourist destination around the world. are people you're speaking to having second thoughts about coming to vegas again. >> everyone i spoke with said no. they said the reason was frost attacks have happened in new york, happened in paris, happened in london. happening everywhere. you can't live your life in fear. it does make them more aware of their surroundings in large event spaces like this. they find themselves keeping an eye on exit and making sure they know how to get out if something does happen. >> nbc blake mccoy in vegas,

thank you. last night congress observed a quiet moment on the floor. not all were willing to stand still. democratic congress woman of massachusetts walked out of the chambers. calling members to order. >> after orlando, i will not be joining my colleagues in a moment of silence on the house floor. just becomes an excuse for inaction. now is not a moment for silence. it's a time for action. political reporting that a bill to loosen restrictions on purchasing gun silencers which some expect to be voted on by the house this week is now likely to be postponed. last night in the senate chris murphy of connecticut called for outrage to be turned into action. >> thoughts and prayers need to be matched by action. and that's our job. our job frankly is not to just send good thoughts.

reason why we exist is to act, is to change the laws of the nation. >> and we're going to hear much more with senator murphy when he joins morning joe later this morning. another story following overnight, major story developed legendary rock icon has died at the age of 66. petty originally from gainesville florida went into cardiac arrest in malibu early yesterday morning and later passed away at ucla medical center. spanned more than four decades. had major grohits with the grou heart breaker. including american girl, break down, don't do me like that, refugee, don't come around here no more, i won't back down and iconic free falling. also a member of the super group. and cowrote the hit handle with care. he famously fought a knock down

dragout legal battle over the price of album and song writing rights. tom petty, dead at age 66. >> so much talent in one man. >> absolutely. special coverage. president trump dealing with tragedy in vegas. today he tours the devastation in puerto rico. we're going to talk about that next. i didn't know where i was from ethnically. so we sent that sample off to ancestry. my ancestry dna results are that i am 26% nigerian.

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and connect as a family. [ bloop, clicking ] and connect, as a family. just, uh one second voice guy. [ bloop ] huh? hey? i paused it. bam, family time. so how is everyone? find your awesome with xfinity xfi and change the way you wifi. welcome back. covering the tragedy in las vegas of course. there's still a lot happening in puerto rico. in just a few hours, president trump will depart to puerto rico to view the devastation firstha firsthand. >> the first lady will meet with responders on the island. before later meeting with the governor of u.s. virgin islands. nearly the entire island remains without power. half of all households still have no running water.

despite this, the president has been heavily criticizing the mayor of san juan over the past several days. >> this is an island. surrounded by water. big water. ocean water. we're closely coordinated with if territorial and local governments. which are totally and unfortunately unable to handle this catastrophic crisis on their own. just totally unable to. >> yes, i was going to say, we're going to be heading to puerto rico to get a live report a little later in the hour, but. >> you know, i just think at this point, we need to put politics aside despite empk that happe get the job done in puerto rico. very much suffering there. try to get lives back to normal. still ahead. much more on the massacre in vegas as the president and the

world is reacting. we're back in just a moment.

our unity cannot be shattered by evil. our bonds cannot be broken by violence. though we feel such great anger at the senseless murder of our fellow citizens, it is our love that defines us today. and always will forever.

>> the police department has done such a fantastic job in terms of the speed and we all very much preert it. we'll be going to puerto rico tomorrow and on wednesday we will be going to, as you know, as i just said, we'll be going to las vegas on a very, very sad. very sad moment for me. for everybody. no matter where you are, no matter what your thought process is. this is a very sad day. we'll be spending the full day there and maybe longer than that. thank you very much everybody. appreciate it. >> thank you very much. >> the las vegas shooting is now the deadliest mass shooting in american history. modern american history. surpassing the 49 killed just a year ago in pulse nightclub shooting. also more than the total in

virginia tech. by nearly double. 30 americans in addition to eight afghans in u.s. military working dog were killed when a helicopter was shot down by the taliban in 2011. the wounded on sunday is far and away for the highest in a mass shooting ever for some perspective. 680 were injured in the 1995 oklahoma city bombing. >> just hearing those numbers. >> staggering when you compare it to some other incidents. still ahead. new information as officials continue to search the hotel room of the gunman overnight. we'll go back live to las vegas next.

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investigators still trying to figure out what drove a madman to open up at a crowd. killing 59 and injuring more than 500 others. >> this video came in overnight. fbi agent searching the hotel room from the 32nd floor of the mandalay bay hotel. police recovered 23 guns from that hotel room alone. another 19 firearms from his home in mesquite, nevada. along with explosives and thousands of bullets. joining us once again live from las vegas, nbc news ron allen.

good to have you back with us. bring us up to speed on the investigation. what leads to police have to be working off aftof at this point they try to complete the picture of who he was. they're trying to put together the picture. the individual is a complete mystery. no record of him. never arrested him. they say he never gotten a parking tilkt. repeating that all morning to underscore the fact this is an individual who so far based on what the police are telling us came out of nowhere. again, this is what they're telling us now. we don't know all the details of what they're learning. they are going deep into his social media. going deep into his home in misskeet as well. even probably more intensively. that home and any computers or hard drives they may have found

there. we know he was a very wealthy man. he may have had business entanglements. suggestions around town he may have had gambling debt. big gambler betting tens the of thousands of dollars on poker we understand: there's those potential motivations. at this point, we just don't know. as i've said before, we always try to find some logical explanation for this sort of thing. it's inevitably not going to make sense because it's crazy.

>> where is she? any information she's given? >>. >> he lived with her. that's important. he had arsenal of more than a dozen weapons and bomb mamaking materials in their home. what did she know about that. seems like something like that could not be going on in your home without you knowing something about it. this woman is potentially an

important piece of the puzzle. at this point we believe she's still overseas, and, again, think this individual paddock acted alone. that's the main thing the police are emphasizing, they think he acted alone. >> it's going to be a central part of this investigation. live in las vegas this morning. thank you. emerging from all the chaos are so many incredible stories of survival. one man said he ran in to help others only to be struck by gunfire himself. spoke from the hospital bed about his terrifying story. it was very odd. i didn't feel pain really. went down and immediately saw blood everywhere. really feel like i owe my life to a couple of girls that i'll probably never find out who they are. they grabbed me by the legs. dragged me over to the sides and took her belt off and put a turn kit on my leg. grabbed a couple of guys next to him and said you will carry him out of here. literally loading us into the back of tow trucks. i was laying on somebody that i

honestly don't believe made it. nobody cared what you looked like last night. nobody did. they wanted to save your life. >> mike chronic also at the concert. told lester holt his friend was shot. described the young man that they were carrying to safety dying in his arms. >> we actually loaded four wounded people up in the back of a pickup truck and tried to get to the hospital. and i'm not sure which road we were on. might have been on this one and they stopped us because there was still a live shooter. we ran around. finally ran into an ambulance. they started triaging and we got my buddy in the ambulance. one of the young men in the back of the truck, as i was carrying him, he passed away. we got the other two in the ambulance. that young man, somebody's son passed away right there. he was not by himself. he was always with somebody. >> that's incredibly powerful to hear him say that young man was

somebody's son. he did not die alone. >> you're hearing storying of people being loaded in pickup trucks and driven to medical centers there. standing by in front of university medical center there. give us an update. as to the status of some of the patients there. over 500 plus victims still being treated from the shooting. sd >> the five 00 plus victims were taken to several hospitals. this is the only trauma unit in the state. the way it was going last evening, this hospital received numerous casualties. many remain in critical condition. still being treated as we speak in the hospital. you know, trauma units were working throughout the night last night. throughout the day. continue to work. we heard stories of doctors leaving shift and immediately going back in. we've also heard stories of doctors who served overseas in

iraq for example who are saying that the wounds that they had to deal with yesterday are the same wounds that they saw on the battlefield and frankly what was going on at that country music concert last night probably didn't look very much different than a battlefield. there are also the fortunate ones like a young woman who checked out of the hospital today. she was shot in the ankle. she was waiting for her mom to pick her up. >> there's shrapnel in my foot still. they didn't do any surgery on me. i'm going down to see a specialist. >> how do you feel that you're able to come out, even though you're in a wheelchair, you're able to come out and you're alive. >> i'm praising god because i have a son that i get to go home to. so i'm thankful. >> you know, when you hear these types of stories, you hear that

these people, a teacher, a lie bare y librarian, teacher, mechanic. these people are just like the people we know from our streets. so many people come to las vegas for vacations and looking for a break. and this tragic event has happened. you know, in such a bright vibrant city, it may take some time to sort of get the lights back on here. >> kevin, there's a physical wounds and the physical trauma, but there's also the emotional trauma as well. wondering if they're providing any psychiatric services for the victims, victim's families, people who experience this firsthand. yes, they are, absolutely. they are going to be offered to

the medical staff. everyone in some way is going to be touched by this. a lot of people are going to need medical help. it's also worth saying the doctors are going to be coming into nevada from across the country to help perhaps relieve some of the stress on the first responders. >> nbc kevin tibbles for us, thank you. alluded to las vegas is a tourist destination. what happens now and tourists are starting to return to the las vegas strip, but the mood there as you can imagine very subdued. joining us live from las vegas, nbc news blake mccoy. it's hard to imagine. maybe hard to put in words. what is the mood there like in las vegas as the city tries to move forward. > . >> reporter: there's a blanket of sad nness hanging over this community. there's a sense it could have been any venue in the city. right now you see the small section of the strip that

remains closed. the rest of the strip is back open. we've seen tourist come out of hotel rooms. many on lock down on the night of the shooting because they didn't know exactly what was going on. now that the situation is over, they're resuming their vacations, going shopping, going to restaurants, but they're doing it under the watchful eye of a heavy police presence. these police officers aren't in big tactical gear. because the threat is over. instead their presence is meant to reassure tourists as they come out of rooms that everything is okay. on the marquees that line the vegas strip, you'll see phone numbers to call for missing loved ones and also locations to go donate blood. and boy has that call been answered. donation centers across the city. we've seen upwards of six hour lines of people waiting to donate blood. a lot of people are saving that it's just the little thing they can do to feel like they're giving back to this community. guys? >> nbc blake mccoy live in las

vegas this morning mpk. former congress woman gabby gifrd shot six years ago. at a press conference in front of the capitol yesterday, giffor giffords. >> to die because of our weakness to address evil and then another and then another and then another. >> the nations counting on you.

sgll certain >> certainly a show of strength there. for sure. much ahead on the mass shooting in vegas and puerto rico as president trump plans to head there and get a firsthand look at the disaster. ♪ we're drowning in information. where, in all of this, is the stuff that matters? the stakes are so high, your finances, your future. how do you solve this? you don't. you partner with a firm that advises governments

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which may cause kidney problems. ask your doctor about victoza®. in just a few hours, president trump will depart to puerto rico to view the devastation of hurricane maria firsthand. president with first lady will meet with first responders. before later meeting with the governor of the u.s. virgin islands which was also hit. nearly the entire island remains without power and about half of all households still have no running water. now, despite this, the president has been heavily criticizing the mayor of san juan over the past several days. joining us live from san juan, good morning to you. let's talk a little bit about the day ahead. what should president trump expect to see on the ground when he arrives given the fact it's

been now two weeks since the storm devastated the island. >> reporter: well, ayman, many of the puerto ricans that i have been speaking to for the past week tell me the president took too long to come here. that he appointed that three star general to lead the relief efforts, eight days in, that the u.s. comfort, that navy ship with 500 doctors is expected to reach the island between today and tomorrow, that's just simply for many puerto ricans not acceptable given the extent of the devastation and long lines for the most basic things that we've seen in the past couple of days, but things are slowly starting to pick up, especially in the capital here in san juan where i am now. people tell me that they hope with the president's arrival, that will mean more food, more supplies and they want more people on the ground here working to restore the power grid, the fact that most of the

island is still without power with very little cell service, that has made the recovery here extremely challenging. back to you guys. >> i know i spoke to a friend down there who said their child was returning to school, i believe. in the next couple of days. that's always an indication things are starting to shift in the right direction. are you hearing more of that type of story. >> honestly, i've been speaking to a lot of mothers because as you can imagine, they have no idea what to do with all these kids. no power at home. very little food. they're actually having to take their children to lines for ice because they know that means they will get more bags of ice since most of the ice factories are giving out two bags of ice per person. many of them are having to spend the night or the early morning hours in long lines with children. they tell me they can't wait for schools to reopen here, but that sense of normalcy here,

especially for many families, will be hard to come by for the next couple of months. still ahead, much more of the continuing coverage into the worst mass shooting in u.s. history in las vegas. mounting questions over the suspect's ability to get such an arsenal of deadly weapons. that's next. scot." [mascot] hey-ooo! whoop, whoop! [crowd 1] hey, you're on fire! [mascot] you bet i am! [crowd 2] dude, you're on fire! [mascot] oh, yeah! [crowd 3] no, you're on fire! look behind you. [mascot] i'm cool. i'm cool. [burke] that's one way to fire up the crowd. but we covered it. talk to farmers. we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ dear dauwith our used to mother-daughter matches. but i've been taking osteo bi-flex ease. it's 80% smaller but just as effective. which means, i'll run you off the court. hugs and kisses, mom.

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welcome back. investigators try to piece together a possible motive as to why 64-year-old steven paddock opened fire on a crowd of 22,000 people. killing 59 and injuring more than 500 others. police recovered 23 guns from the room at the mandalay bay hotel where paddock cared out the attack and another 19 firearms from his home. for more on the investigation, go to nbc news and intelligence security reporter. paddock. much of it is anomalous. his profile doesn't fit. according to his family he was extremely wealthy.

he seemed to be making his living as a recent professional gambler. he was a high stakes poker player. we know from transactions that the fbi observed he was betting as much as $10,000 a pop. avenues college graduate who worked as an auditor for a time. he was living in a retirement community. he is 64 years old. living with his 62-year-old asian-american girlfriend who is now in tokyo. so there's a lot about stephen paddock that doesn't fit what we've understood about past mass shootings but we don't know the biggest question which is what was his state of mind. the fbi and other authorities are pouring through his computers and social media trying to determine that. another question that's not answered at this point is what was the source of that automatic weapons fire, that machine gunfire that we heard on the horrific recordings. machine guns have been illegal for sale in this country is in

1986 but it's possible to buy a pre-1986 grandfathered machine gun legally if you register with the federal government and possible to modify a semiautomatic weapon so it fires in automatic fashion. authorities have not said what happened. did he buy a machine gun legally or illegally or did he modify a semiautomatic weapon legally or illegally. back to you. looking in that conversation about weapons. law enforcement has been putting heavy focus on the weapons used. how did the shooter get his hands on what were essentially military grade machine continues. tom costello has more on this. >> reporter: veteran cops could tell from the sound of the gunfire that fully automatic weapons were likely involved. among the armory of guns, ammunition, tripods and scopes recovered from the hotel room

were .223 and.308 caliber rifles converted into machine guns. it is able to strike a target from long distances. >> goes down the barrel at high velocity. it's so deadly. it will go through a policeman's vest. >> reporter: federal law has outlawed the sale of new machine guns since 1986 semiautomatic rifles are legal in most but not all states. some gun enthusiasts and criminals use $50 kits available online to convert them into automatic guns. >> fully automatic capability by replacing the stock. >> reporter: the number of converted fully automatic guns has risen sharply. firing off hundreds of rounds per minute. >> these types of weapons have no place in our society. they are weapons of war. >> reporter: in nevada there's no limit on the number of semiautomatic weapons or ammunition you can buy and

shooting one doesn't require much skill. >> eemptying the whole magazine into the crowd. just mass murder on a larger scale. >> reporter: two nevada gun dealerships said the suspect purchased guns there. what's not clear is how he got his hands on so many powerful weapons of war. that's got a lot of people scratching their heads. how can you purchase a kit for $50 to turn a weapon into semiautomatic. we've had this conversation before. it done seem that things are changing. now is the time. >> i think one of the questions a lot of people have is why do you need that ability. you saw the youtube demonstration. that's a question a lot of people are wondering. >> why do you need it? >> i don't know if there's an answer to it. >> coming up next on "morning

joe" more of our coverage into the worse mass shooting. we'll go live to our team in las vegas as officials try to piece together what caused the suspect to open fire on the unsuspecting concert goers. >> and a congressman to reprimanded his colleagues for failing to pass legislation. plus president trump heads to puerto rico this morning to tour the devastation amid the unfolding crisis on the island there. "morning joe," everyone just moments away. ♪ ♪ you nervous? ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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don't hold back... ...ask your dermatologist if cosentyx can help you find clear skin that lasts. good morning. it's tuesday, october 3rd. with us we have veteran columnist and msnbc contributor mike barnacle. former fbi special agent and msnbc contributor and this this morning we start off with the story that everyone is talking about. investigators are still trying to figure out why 64-year-old

stephen paddock opened fire into a crowd of about 22,000 people at a music festival, killing at least 59 people and injuring more than 500 others. this video came in overnight of fbi agents searching the hotel room where paddock carried out the attack. we're told police recovered 23 guns from the room, including a handgun, ar-15 style assault rifles and rifles equipped with scopes. two of those were reportedly set up on tripods in front of the windows. also there, hundreds of rounds of ammunition. and another 19 firearms were recovered from the suspect's home in mesquite, nevada along with explosives and thousands of bullets. most of what we know about the shooter came from his brother who spoke several times yesterday. >> he's definitely only himself. there's no -- there's n