Las Vegas death toll rises to 59 as weapon stockpile found at gunman's home

Trevor Noah, the South African host of the popular Daily Show, has mocked America’s unwillingness to discuss gun control in the wake of the shooting.

He pointed out that in two years he has presented the show there have been 20 mass shootings and every time politicians have insisted this is not the time to talk about gun laws.

He said the country appeared to be keener to blame hotel security than the ready availability of weapons.

“We live in a world where people will put a gun before your lives,” Noah said.

Tonight at 11/10c, Trevor responds to the tragedy in Las Vegas.

Two of the survivors of the Las Vegas mass shooting, have defended US gun laws.

Caren Mansholt told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that she crouched down as low as possible as multiple rounds of bullets were fired into the crowd from a hotel room where 23 guns were found.

She said such attacks would not be prevented by tighter gun laws.

“I do believe there is a time and a place for gun ownership. I believe that we have the right to protect ourselves as needed,” she said.

Rusty Dees, who was with Mansholt at the time, said: “The biggest problem for me and for many was that we didn’t hear anybody returning fire. I’m very concerned that we had no one outside to protect us. Unfortunately for me being unarmed and unable to do a whole lot decided it was time to get out of there.”

Echoing an argument put forward by the former Fox News broadcaster Bill O’Reilly, Dees added: “It’s a tragic cost of freedom, that people can do bad things. If you can find a gun law that would prevent this from happening I could sign up today, but I am proud of our country’s second amendment rights and I’m glad we are allowed to defend ourselves.”

A “lone wolf” gunman carried out America’s deadliest mass shooting in a meticulously planned attack after waiting for three days in a hotel suite before striking at a festival crowd of 22,000.

Stephen Paddock, 64, killed at least 59 people and injured a further 527 when he fired on concert-goers from the vantage point of a 32nd-floor hotel room in Las Vegas.

Armed with as many as 23 weapons, including semi-automatic rifles, Paddock opened fire at 10.08pm on Sunday (5.08am UK time) in a shooting spree that lasted between five and 10 minutes.

As police prepared to storm his hotel room, Paddock committed suicide by turning one of the guns on himself.

With the motive still unknown, police were scouring Paddock's personal life for clues.

Joseph Lombardo, the local sheriff for Clark County, said a search of the suspect's car turned up a supply of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer compound that can be used in explosives. It was used in the 1995 truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people.

Police found another 19 firearms, some explosives and thousands of rounds of ammunition at his home in Mesquite, along with "some electronic devices that we are evaluating at this time," Mr Lombardo told reporters.

Police obtained a warrant to search a second house connected to Paddock in Reno, Nevada, more than 400 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Assistant Sheriff Todd Fasulo later told reporters.

Chris Sullivan, the owner of the Guns & Guitars gun shop in Mesquite, issued a statement confirming that Paddock was a customer who cleared "all necessary background checks and procedures," and said his business was cooperating with investigators.

"He never gave any indication or reason to believe he was unstable or unfit at any time," Sullivan said. He did not say how many or the kinds of weapons Paddock purchased there.