Music biz reacts in horror to Vegas shooting as death roll rises to 58

The global music business responded with shock and horror as the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that the death toll at the Las Vegas country music festival had risen to 58 and with over 500 injured.

Recognised as the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, it is still not clear if police killed the 64-year old lone suspect Stephen Paddock or if he took his own life as SWAT teams stormed the hotel.

Paddock had been firing from his 32nd floor hotel room of the Mandalay Bay Hotel at the 22,000-strong crowd at the outdoor Route 91 Harvest Music country music festival taking place to the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard.

A local resident, Paddock had booked into the hotel on September 28. He had ten rifles with him.

In the most recent update:

A person of interest has also been apprehended, while a Music Cares Fund to help shooting victims was quickly set up by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

The National Compassion Fund Las Vegas will also donate 100% of its funds to victims.

Live Nation which has been staging the festival for the past four years issued a statement: "To think that anyone would want to inflict harm on a gathering of music lovers is beyond our comprehension.

“And while we are stunned and grieving over this incomprehensible act of violence, we know that this is a moment when we must come together to prevent more tragedies like this from occurring."

Live Nation said it would also donate money to victims.

Video footage shows that the shooting began about 10pm as country music superstar Jason Aldean was performing When She Says Baby. He stopped, and initially the crowd stayed quiet as it tried to apprehend what was happening.

When the second volley began, there was panic, as people fled or hid themselves under parked cars or behind concession stands.

KTNV Las Vegas reported that many ran to McCarran International Airport. Flights in and out of the airport were temporarily halted.

Jake Owen who played immediately before Aldean, sent a series of tweets, first affirming that he was ok and sending love to his baby daughter, Pearl.

Chris Robinette, president of security and counter-terrorism specialists Prevent Advisors, told Pollstar that it’s past time to merely talk about the worst-case scenario.

“What can happen clearly has happened now,” Robinette said “It’s no longer part of the theoretical discussion.

“Now, it’s what do we do about it. It’s going to have to be something that is a much broader discussion.”