--- title: Donald Trump Condemns Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Shooting description: President Donald Trump on Monday condemned the deadly shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas canonical: https://time.com/4965063/las-vegas-shooting-trump-response/ author: Alana Abramson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-10-02T15:07:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T03:02:54.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: 'It Was an Act of Pure Evil.' Trump Condemns the Las Vegas Shooting og:description: "It is our love that defines us today" og:url: https://time.com/4965063/las-vegas-shooting-trump-response/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc952a88bdd4065cb/6988e00a656a3f826abd1e81/gettyimages-855769200.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5442 og:image:height: 3061 og:image:alt: President Donald Trump og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'It Was an Act of Pure Evil.' Trump Condemns the Las Vegas Shooting twitter:description: "It is our love that defines us today" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc952a88bdd4065cb/6988e00a656a3f826abd1e81/gettyimages-855769200.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'It Was an Act of Pure Evil.' President Trump Condemns the Las Vegas Shooting > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=21ac4f44-719a-4ff5-90cf-b21b4c03e2af&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Trump Condemns Las Vegas Shooting As "Pure Evil" [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump Condemns Las Vegas Shooting As "Pure Evil"](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/JwnVuAip.m3u8) (2:25)  _Published 2017-10-02. President Donald Trump on Monday condemned the deadly shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, urging national unity and calling the Las Vegas attack "pure evil."_  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Updated: Dec 13, 2023 3:02 AM UTCPublished: Oct 2, 2017 3:07 PM UTC President Donald Trump on Monday condemned the deadly shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, urging national unity and calling the Las Vegas attack "pure evil."  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Updated: Dec 13, 2023 3:02 AM UTCPublished: Oct 2, 2017 3:07 PM UTC President Donald Trump on Monday condemned [the deadly shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas](http://time.com/4964666/madalay-bay-las-vegas-shooting/?xid=homepage), urging national unity and calling the Las Vegas attack “pure evil.” “Our unity cannot be shattered by evil,” Trump said in brief remarks broadcast from the White House. “It is our love that defines us today.” The President also announced he is traveling to Las Vegas on Wednesday to meet with law enforcement and families of the victims. At least 58 people were killed and over 515 injured when a lone gunman, subsequently [identified by authorities as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock](http://time.com/4964995/las-vegas-shooting-stephen-paddock-eric-brother/), opened fire from his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino onto the Route 91 Harvest country music festival. The death toll, which could still change, makes the massacre the deadliest in U.S. history. He praised the first responders for their quick reaction to the shooting. “The speed with which they acted was miraculous,” Trump said. “It shows what true professionalism is all about.” Trump was briefed on the shooting earlier this morning, the White House said, and subsequently added these remarks to his schedule. Earlier this morning, he [tweeted a message of support](http://time.com/4964809/las-vegas-shooting-donald-trump/). “My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!” [he wrote.](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/914810093874671617) The White House also sent a proclamation from the President ordering the American flag to be flown at half-staff through sunset on Oct. 6 to commemorate the tragedy. ## Transcript [00:00] We are joined together today in sadness, shock, [00:05] and grief. Last night a gunman opened fire [00:10] on a large crowd at a country music concert [00:15] in Las Vegas, Nevada. He brutally murdered more [00:19] than 50 people. And wounded [00:23] hundreds more. It was an act of pure [00:28] evil. I wanna thank the Las Vegas Metropolitan [00:33] Police Department, and all of the first responders for [00:37] their courageous efforts. And for helping to save the [00:41] lives Of so many. The speed [00:45] with which they acted is miraculous and [00:49] prevented further loss of life. To have found the [00:53] shooter so quickly after the first shots were fired is [00:57] something for which we will always be thankful. [01:02] And grateful. It shows what true professionalism [01:07] is all about. Hundreds of our fellow citizens are now [01:11] mourning the sudden loss of a loved one, a parent, a [01:15] child, a brother or sister. We [01:20] cannot fathom their pain. We cannot imagine Their [01:24] loss. To the families of the victims, we [01:28] are praying for you and we are here for you. And [01:32] we ask God to help see you through this very [01:36] dark period. In moments of tragedy and horror, [01:42] America comes together as one. And [01:46] it always has. We call upon the bonds [01:50] that unite us. Our faith, our family, and our shared [01:54] values. We call upon the bonds of citizenship, the [01:59] ties of community, and the comfort of our common [02:03] humanity. Our unity cannot be shattered by evil. Our [02:08] bonds cannot be broken by violence. And though we [02:11] feel such great anger at the senseless murder [02:16] of our fellow citizens, it is our love that defines us [02:20] today, and always will forever. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4965063/las-vegas-shooting-trump-response/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4965063/las-vegas-shooting-trump-response/"},"headline":"'It Was an Act of Pure Evil.' 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