#WhatsHappening for October 2, 2017

Fifty-nine dead at last count, more than 500 injured after a gunman opened fire on the final day's performance of the Route 91 Festival that was held on the Las Vegas strip this weekend.

Country singer Jason Aldean was on the stage when the shooting broke out, coming down on the Las Vegas Strip venue from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Las Vegas police who went to confront the shooter found him dead from suicide.
Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said police found 10 rifles in the shooter's hotel room- along with "several thousand rounds" of ammunition, explosives, and "electrionic devices". A raid at the suspect's home in Mesquite, Nevada this afternoon yielded 18 more firearms, more explosives, and several thousand more rounds of ammunition.

Despite Islamic State claims of responsibility for the incident, FBI Special Agent Aaron Rouse told a news conference this afternoon that the agency had "determined at this point no connection to an international terrorist organisation."

I want to say something profound. Persuasive even. But let's be honest- if a fucking nut-job shooting up an elementary school and killing 20 children didn't lead to real, meaningful changes in gun laws, there's no way this will, either.

Instead there'll just be a lot of uproar about gun laws, the NRA, mental health, etc. It's the same bullshit we've heard after every single instance. 

All we can do is mourn the victims.

I've been listening to Tom Petty's music since I was eight. Much like the music of Prince, Petty's tunes have been integral pieces to the soundtrack of my life. I own each of his albums. I've seen him in concert. I'm reeling. 

On the bright side- as of 10:15 Eastern- there is still no confirmation that Petty has died- or even that he's actually hospitalized. I'm going to keep holding out hope that TMZ is just wrong in their reports that he singer was found in full cardiac arrest in his home in Malibu.

Local authorities would not confirm who it was, and the CBS News says its Tweet saying that the LAPD had confirmed Petty's death was erroneous. They issued a statement that said the "LAPD... said it was not in a position to confirm information about the singer and that 'initial information was inadvertently provided to some media sources.' In that statement, the LAPD also apologized for 'any inconvenience in this reporting.'"

The Heartbreakers just wrapped up their 40th anniversary concert tour last week in Los Angeles and Petty said it was, very likely, the band's last full-scale tour.

Peace out, everyone. That's all I can handle tonight.