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Photo: AFP
The scene of the attack, following the shooting
Photo: AFP

The Israeli professor who warned of a Las Vegas attack

One of the top physicians in the field of mass emergencies, Prof. Avi Rivkind spoke about security threats that Las Vegas can draw, mentioning that 5 of the 9/11 Al-Qaeda hijackers met there prior to Twin Towers attack; 'With all the casinos and people coming here,' said Rivkind. 'It's a matter of time.'

In the wake of Monday's Las Vegas shooting attack, an interview given by Israeli medical professional, Prof. Avi Rivkind, has resurfaced, in which he warns that an attack on Las Vegas is "a matter of time."

 

 

"With all the casinos and people coming here from all over the world, I think you should take a huge situation," said Rivkind while speaking to local news site Las Vegas Now in '14, right before he returned to Israel to offer medical assistance during Operation Protective Edge.

 

In his interview, Rivkind mentioned that five of the 9/11 Al-Qaeda hijackers met in Las Vegas three months before the attack, and that when an Al-Qaeda sleeper cell was busted 12 years ago, investigators found a videotape of a Las Vegas Strip resort.

 

Prof. Avi Rivkind (Photo: Amit Shabi)
Prof. Avi Rivkind (Photo: Amit Shabi)

 

The head of Hadassah Medical Center's trauma unit in Jerusalem, Rivkind has been called one of the leading trauma experts in the world. "I don't want to give anybody any ideas; however you should be well prepared. In my mind, it's a matter of time."

 

Crowd at music festival following the shooting (Photo: Reuters)
Crowd at music festival following the shooting (Photo: Reuters)

 

59 people have already died and close to 600 were injured after gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire from his hotel room on the 32nd floor on the crowd of a nearby country music festival. Monday's attack was the deadliest massacre on US soil in history.


The shooter, Stephen Paddock
The shooter, Stephen Paddock

 

Paddock, a 64-year-old grandfather with no prior criminal record, reportedly had several dozen guns and automatic weapons with him in the room. The motive for his actions remain unclear.

 

Upon reaching his room, police found Paddock already dead. It is believed he had killed himself immediately following the attack.

 

Mourners light candles following attack (Photo: EPA)
Mourners light candles following attack (Photo: EPA)

 

Medical professionals in the vicinity of the attack were called upon to offer their assistance. The sudden burden on medical centers was enormous: 104 of those injured, for example, sought treatment at the same South Nevada hospital, leaving the hospital staff stretched thin and forced to treat them in any available corner. Four of those seeking treatment there have died, while 12 remain in critical condition.


Photo: Reuters
Photo: Reuters

 

"No one can say they've seen anything like this," Sunrise Hospital's Dr. Jeffrey Murawsky, the hospital's chief medical officer, said during an interview on NPR radio's All Things Considered on Monday.

 

"We have a relatively large emergency department. We were able to triage within our emergency department," he added. "We used the hallway space to see patients, so it's a lot fuller than it normally would be and it feels a lot more chaotic."

 

Photo: EPA
Photo: EPA

 

In light of the significant pressure facing local health centers, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval declared a public health and medical disaster on Monday, which allowed licensed out-of-state healthcare professionals to offer their assistance to Nevada hospitals.

 

"This attack has created a public health and medical emergency," stated Sandoval, with Sunrise Hospital CEO Todd P. Sklamberg adding that "we’ve had people contact us from Florida, Ohio, Utah, California, ready to come and help us."

 


פרסום ראשון: 10.03.17, 18:39
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