03 October 2017•Update: 03 October 2017
By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY
U.S. authorities are looking for a Filipino woman deemed a "person of interest" in connection with Sunday’s mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to reports, 62-year-old Marilou Danley is said to be the roommate of the suspect, identified as Stephen Paddock.
The Manila Times reported that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department initially said Danley was of “Asian descent” but was identified in later reports as a Filipina.
Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo was quoted as saying the police are on the lookout for Danley, who is said to be the shooter’s companion, and her photo has been released.
At least 59 people have been killed and 525 others wounded in what authorities have said is the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
The Daesh militant group claimed responsibility for the massacre, but U.S. officials said there was no evidence to back that up.
The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it sympathized with the families of those killed of the mass shooting, which it called "a disturbing act of violence”.
In a statement, DFA Secretary Alan Cayetano said they are checking whether any Filipinos were among the victims.
"We hope and pray that all of them are safe and accounted for. We mourn with the families of those who perished...Our thoughts and prayers are with the American people today," he said.
Cayetano, who is currently in New York, said the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, California is watching for new developments in the incident.
Some 131,000 Filipinos are in Las Vegas. The city also serves as a popular tourist destination for Filipinos.
