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Eight people were reportedly stabbed earlier today in front of The Venetian Las Vegas on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip; two of the victims died. Making things even more terrifying: the attacks were allegedly unprovoked. Both tourists and local Las Vegans were among the victims.
(Ironically, the incidents take place less than a week after the five-year anniversary of the Las Vegas massacre.)
According to Clark County Sherrif Joe Lombardo (via Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s Brett Clarkson and Sabrina Schnur), the suspect is a male in his early 30s. The male (sorry, not sorry: I’m not calling this guy a “man”) was seen running down Las Vegas Blvd. Sheriff Lombardo said Sands security guards detained the suspect. (Sands is the parent company of The Venetian and The Palazzo.)
Mr. Clarkson and Ms. Schnur write:
Pierre Fandrich, a French-speaking tourist from Montreal, said he was near a pedestrian bridge outside Wynn Las Vegas when he saw a group of three to four women dressed as showgirls on the Wynn side of the pedestrian bridge.
“He thought it was laughing at first but then he heard it was screaming, actually,” said another Montreal tourist, Maxime Wallace, who translated for Fandrich.
“There was one showgirl on the ground,” Fandrich said through the translator. “There was another showgirl on top of her, trying to help her friend. She seemed to be stabbed in the back, but she didn’t notice because she was helping the other showgirl.”
Fandrich said he did not see the suspect, but about 100 feet from the girls another person was on the ground suffering from injuries on the bridge.
“There was a lot of blood on the ground,” Fandrich said through Wallace.
Ugh.
The Las Vegas Strip: Are You Worried?
The sheriff said the suspect is not a Las Vegas resident. Sure, maybe the guy lives in Henderson or Summerlin. Perhaps Paradise. But I’m guessing Sheriff Lombardo means the Las Vegas metro area.
I’ve walked on the Vegas strip hundreds of times. I’ve generally felt safe.
But during my most recent trip this past August, I noticed the homeless population was much worse than I’ve ever seen it in Vegas. (Seems to be a problem in most places, though.)
I wonder if the suspect was a homeless person who isn’t exactly of sound mind. Someone on the streets who shouldn’t be — and maybe has an anger issue. Vlogger Not Leaving Las Vegas has some experience with this:
I know people will say the Strip is perfectly safe, don’t be scared, and this was a random attack. That’s probably what the stabbing victims thought when they stepped foot on The Strip this morning.
I feel horrible for the victims and their families.
Are you nervous about venturing out onto the Vegas Strip? (I’d love to hear from Vegas locals who read the blog.)
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Walking from the Strip to my hotel on Paradise Road after sundown felt unsafe, and it was mainly desolate. It was my first visit and I had been enjoying shopping at a mall on the Strip. Since then, I have stayed in hotels downtown, which are more reasonably priced. However, the walk from the transit center to downtown, even though not far, feels unsafe. I try to use public transportation and walk to places. Was just at the airport for a layover, and thought it would be nice to have another visit to Las Vegas. There are spots I would like to visit. It is sad that people are being attacked. Being endlessly vigilant is mentally draining.