Police release body cam footage of Las Vegas shooting

Las Vegas police released footage Wednesday from the body cameras worn by two officers who entered Stephen Paddock’s hotel suite shortly after he is suspected of carrying out October’s mass shooting, CNN reported.

Police say Paddock opened fire from his 32nd floor hotel room overlooking a concert at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, leaving 58 dead people and more than 500 injured.

According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Joe Lombardo, the bodycam footage is just the first in a set of materials related to the shooting that will be released by the department. Audio from 911 calls and documents related to the shooting will follow on a rolling basis, according to CNN.

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“I don’t know how this footage will be played in the media, but I want to warn you, if you are a survivor or a family who lost a loved one, you should know the video from this concert is disturbing and graphic,” Lombardo said.

The materials are likely to be released on a weekly basis, Lombardo said, though he did not specify how they would be presented.

The release of the footage comes after the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Friday that police had to release the 911 call audio and bodycam recordings.

Lombardo noted that the police had appealed an earlier ruling calling for the gathered material to be made public. According to the sheriff, the appeal was made because of costs, allocation of resources and the potential for further victimization of those affected by the shooting, CNN reported.

“I want the community to know the release of the videos, 911 and documents will have a significant impact on the victims of this tragedy. We believe the release of the graphic footage will further traumatize a wounded community,” Lombardo said. “And for that, we apologize.”