A fire alarm from gun smoke led police to the Las Vegas shooters room, retired officer says

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Ironically, next week is Fire Prevention Week.

A fire alarm from gun smoke led police to the Las Vegas shooter’s room, retired officer says

By Cleve R. Wootson Jr. October 2 at 10:51 AM

It wasn't the hundreds of muzzle flashes that exploded from the shooter's rifles that gave away his position.

Nor was it the panicked 911 calls from people reporting the rhythmic thundering of gunfire.

It was the smoke.

As the gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, fired round after round, gun smoke filled his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, said Randy Sutton, a retired lieutenant with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, citing police sources.

The SWAT team used the alarm triggered by the smoke to zero in on Paddock's position in about 20 minutes — not nearly enough time for a floor-by-floor search of the hotel, which has 3,309 rooms and a 135,000-square-foot casino.
....

Cleve Wootson is a general assignment reporter for The Washington Post. Follow @CleveWootson

[SharonAnn]

1. I wondered how they found his room so quickly, amound thousands of rooms.

Especially since it wasn't clear exactly which floor he was firing from.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. He did have to break out a window, so that would have located him too. NT

[MosheFeingold]

3. Wow

Nice tip to give the next mass shooter. Bring some plastic and tape and cover the smoke alarm.