Two people were killed and six others were hurt in stabbings along the Las Vegas Strip by an attacker using a huge kitchen knife, according to authorities today.
According to Las Vegas police, who said they started getting 911 reports about the stabbings at 11.40am local time (7.40am NZT) on the north end of the Strip, three persons were hospitalised in serious condition and another three were in stable condition.
Authorities stated that the man gave his “real identity” to police after identifying himself. He is Hispanic, in his 30s, and does not appear to be a resident of Las Vegas, according to their description of him.
The identities of the two fatalities are being suppressed, according to Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, until their family can be notified.
At a news conference, Lombardo stated, “Both locals and visitors are the victims of this crime.”
The initial stabbing, which took place on the eastern sidewalk of Las Vegas Boulevard, was unprovoked, according to Metro Police Deputy Chief James LaRochelle. He claimed that after stabbing some people, the suspect went south.
Before being apprehended, the man ran and was pursued by 911 callers, according to the officials. The “big knife with a long blade” allegedly used was found by police, according to LaRochelle, who described the case as a “hard-to-comprehend murder inquiry.”
There are no other suspects in the investigation, according to Lombardo, and “the Strip is secure.”
According to police, it was too early in their investigation to make any assumptions about a potential reason for the stabbings.
Some of the victims seemed to be showgirls or street performers who pose for photos with tourists on the Strip, witnesses said Las Vegas TV stations.
According to a woman who spoke to KTNV, the suspect pretended to be a chef and asked to take a picture with several of the showgirls while holding a knife. However, after the group declined, the man began stabbing victims.
Canadian tourist Pierre Fandrich told KTNV that when he was strolling along the Strip, he did not observe the suspect in the stabbing. However, he claimed that what he initially believed to be “three or four showgirls laughing” was actually screaming.
Fandrich reported seeing “a lot of blood” as one woman rushed across a bridge, another lay on the ground, and a third attempted to save the downed woman while also suffering a stab wound to her back.
Because there was so much blood on the ground, Fandrich also informed KTNV that he believed one of the victims had fallen off the bridge.
Stabbings on the Las Vegas Strip resulted in two fatalities and six injuries.
About Author
