Cotton: Las Vegas shooter’s weapon sounded like ‘belt-fed machine gun’

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) in a new interview described the sounds from videos of the Las Vegas mass shooting as “a belt-fed machine gun.”

In an interview on “The Hugh Hewitt Show” that aired Tuesday, host Hugh Hewitt asked if the senator thought any of the proposals for tougher gun legislation could have prevented the Sunday night attack.

“Hugh, again, it’s preliminary, we don’t know all the facts, but from what I have read in the news, it doesn’t seem like any of the proposals floated in the last 24 hours would have stopped this killer,” Cotton said.

{mosads}“You know, when I hear those videos, it sounds to me like machine gun fire, a belt-fed machine gun, which is exceptionally hard to acquire in the United States, certainly linked ammunition as well,” the senator continued.

“But we don’t know that for sure. I don’t think we have confirmation, yet, of the kinds of weapons that were used, and where he obtained them, and under the circumstances that he obtained them. So I think we have to gather all those facts before we make any conclusions.” 

At least 59 people are dead and more than 500 others injured after a gunman opened fire on a country music festival from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel.

The suspect, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, was found dead in his hotel room when authorities entered.

The deadly shooting has reignited the gun debate in Washington, D.C., with Democratic lawmakers calling for tougher gun control legislation. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called on Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to create a select committee to analyze gun violence.

—This report was updated 12:19 p.m.