LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Two people were killed and at least six were injured Thursday in what Las Vegas police called a series of unprovoked stabbings in the city’s popular tourist center.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said officers responded to a multiple stabbing incident outside a casino in the 3100 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard around 11:42 a.m.
This block includes well-known casinos such as Resorts World Las Vegas, Wynn and Encore Las Vegas, as well as the adjacent shopping strip.
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 taken to area hospitals with unknown degrees of injuries.
In a later briefing with reporters, LVMPD raised the death toll to two and the number of injuries to six, three of whom are in critical condition. One victim died at the scene and the other died at University Medical Center.
The suspect was taken into custody and police blocked off roads to search for evidence.
Police said the unknown suspect had a significant amount of blood on his sleeves at the time of the arrest.
Police have not yet determined a motive, but believe a large kitchen knife was used in the attack. They added that the scene is guarded and there is no greater danger to the public.
Half a block of the Strip was hit by stabbings, police said
At a mid-afternoon briefing at LVMPD headquarters, police leadership demonstrated what appeared to be a crime scene on sidewalks usually filled with both tourists and local outdoor entertainers trying to make a buck.
The initial stabbing was unprovoked and happened on the sidewalk near the Wynn Hotel, said Deputy Chief James Larochelle.
The suspect, described by Larochelle as a Hispanic man in his 30s who had recently visited the city, continued south, leaving five more victims at various points.
The man then headed off the Strip and down a street near the Palazzo Hotel-Casino, where another victim was wounded, Larochelle said. All this happened while he was followed by concerned citizens.
The scuffle continued until a security guard and a police officer took the man into custody within minutes outside the Palazzo garage entrance, Sheriff Joe Lombardo added.
Police said the suspect identified himself verbally, but they are still working to confirm his name.
The police department also released a video showing the man running away amid the chaos he allegedly caused.
According to passers-by, among the victims were “girls” who were taking photos
The sheriff noted that the victims were Las Vegas locals and tourists.
Witnesses told Las Vegas TV stations that the stabbings occurred in multiple locations, and some of the victims appeared to be showgirls taking pictures with tourists on the Strip.
Pierre Fandrich told KTNV that he did not see the stabbing suspect as he walked down the Strip. But he said he thought he heard “three or four girls laughing”, although it turned out to be shouting.
Fandrich said he saw “a lot of blood” as one woman ran across the bridge, one lying on the ground and another with a stab wound to the back as she tried to help the woman who had fallen.
Fandrich also told KTNV that he thought one of the victims fell off the bridge because there was so much blood on the ground.
The mass stabbing comes days after the somber anniversary
The mass shooting comes five days after a gunman opened fire on country music festivalgoers from a high-rise hotel on October 1, 2017.
The incident killed 58 people, making it the deadliest mass shooting in US history.
COMPLETE COVERAGE: Mass shootings in Las Vegas 2017
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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