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There have now been 338 mass shootings in just 273 days in America

At least 58 people have been killed and another 515 injured in Las Vegas in what is now the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.

A gunman, named as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, spraying bullets at the crowd watching a music festival on the Las Vegas strip.

The attack is deadlier than the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in June 2016, which left 49 dead.

As more details emerge, the shooting is likely to reignite the debate on gun control in the US, with #guncontrolnow already trending on Twitter.

Barack Obama consistently fought with the US senate to bring in meaningful gun control in the country, saying the US “could not wait” after a series of deadly attacks.

However, Donald Trump, his successor, was endorsed by the National Rifle Association and is opposed to restricting the sale of assault weapons.

The Las Vegas attack is the 338th mass shooting of 2017 — after just 273 days — according to a website that monitors gun deaths.

Police officers stand at the scene of a shooting near the Mandalay Bay resort and casino (AP Photo/John Locher)
Police officers stand at the scene of a shooting near the Mandalay Bay resort and casino (AP Photo/John Locher)

The Mass Shootings Tracker defines mass shootings as incidents in which four or more people are killed or injured by gunfire. This includes the gunman.

It notes that in September, 31 people were killed and 122 were injured in mass shootings in the country.

In August, 34 people were killed in mass shootings, while 154 were wounded, according to the tracker.

With the official number of dead not known following the Las Vegas shooting, January remains the deadliest month of the year — with 62 killed in mass shootings.

According to statistics, Americans are 10 times more likely to be killed by guns than people in other developed countries.

In the US, the death rate from all gun homicides is about 31 per million people, according to the New York Times.

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By comparison, in the UK, the death rate from all gun homicides is 0.9 per million people.

The most deadly attacks in modern US history

Las Vegas strip shooting — at least 58 killed
October 1, 2017 — Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada killed at least 58 people and injured hundreds more in the attack on the Harvest country music festival.

Pulse nightclub shooting — 49 killed
June 12, 2016 — Omar Saddiqui Mateen, 29, killed 49 people and injured 58 after opening fire in Pulse, a gay nightclub, in Orlando, Florida. Police shot Mateen dead at the scene.

Virginia Tech shooting — 32 killed

April 16, 2007 — Student Seung-Hui Cho, 23, killed 32 people and injured 17 others in two separate gun attacks on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Sandy Hook shooting — 26 killed

December 14, 2012 — Adam Lanza, 20, killed 20 children — ages six and seven — and six adults in a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Lanza also killed his mother, Nancy, before the shooting.

Luby’s shooting — 23 killed

October 16, 1991 – George Hennard, 35, crashed his pickup truck through the wall of a Luby’s Cafeteria, then shooting and killing 23 people. He committed suicide after the attack.

Drapes billow out of broken windows at the Mandalay Bay resort and casino Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, on the Las Vegas Strip following a deadly shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas. A gunman was found dead inside a hotel room. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Drapes billow out of broken windows at the Mandalay Bay resort and casino Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, on the Las Vegas Strip following a deadly shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas. A gunman was found dead inside a hotel room. (AP Photo/John Locher)