07:01
22 Jul
A man has been arrested for destruction of property in the incident that is believed to have sparked mass panic on the Vegas Strip – glass windows being smashed mistaken for gunfire and leading to stampedes and injuries at numerous casinos.
Bradley Thompson had been trespassed from the MGM Grand earlier on Saturday, but returned because he “felt disrespected by security,” according to his arrest report.
Thompson was seen on CCTV throwing rocks at the glass windows in the valet area and was detained by a bystander, with security informing police who were responding to an active shooter report at the casino.
The two incidents appear to be linked, with the active shooter rumour spreading like wildfire along the Strip, multiple injuries resulting from the stampedes as poker players and gamblers fled the MGM, Aria, and Paris casinos…
Others hid under upturned tables, with chips and cards sent flying during the closing events of the World Series of Poker…
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) quickly released a statement on their Twitter account:
“Reports of a shooting near the MGM tonight are unfounded. Initial reports are a glass door shattered causing a loud noise which startled people in the valet area.”
With damage in the initial incident estimated at $2,000, Thompson’s arrest report reveals he was “uncooperative, cussing at security and spitting everywhere” when detained. When asked if he threw rocks at the valet windows at MGM, he is reported to have replied “he did not want to talk about it.”
Thompson was taken to University Medical Center for treatment with a cut lip, bloody nose and “pain from swallowing glass” after being tackled by MGM security.
Las Vegas was the scene of the worst mass shooting in modern US history in 2017 when a gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
Sixty concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest music festival below were killed, with hundreds more injured by gunshots and in the panic that followed, before 64-year-old Stephen Paddock took his own life.
That horrific incident is still fresh in people’s minds, and several poker players spoke of the fear they felt when the active shooter rumour sparked mass panic, Vanessa Kade among them…
The Clark County District Attorney’s Office has yet to comment on whether Thompson could face additional charges for the ensuing chaos.
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