Jet Fuel Tank Targeted by Vegas Shooter to Be Inspected

When a gunman fired on the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, he also struck a jet fuel tank nearby at McCarran International Airport.

The gunman, Stephen Paddock, reportedly fired at two tanks and struck one of the tanks twice. The tanks are located about 1,100 feet from the concert site, as well as near multiple airplane hangars. A source told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the bullets left two holes in the tank that was hit, although the strike did not cause an explosion or fire.

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The airport said that it will be hiring a safety expert to inspect it, with spokesman Chris Jones telling the Las Vegas Review-Journal that airport officials hope to hire the consultant by the end of the month. The fueling system supplies small aircraft users and has "remained functional," Jones said.

"We believe we are already fulfilling industry best practices in terms of the security and safety of the tanks, but whenever something happens, it's prudent to assess and reevaluate," Jones added.

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Experts have said that is almost impossible for a rifle to ignite jet fuel.

"We have to minimize the risk as much as we possibly can," County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said Thursday. "Who would have thought that a massacre like this would have occurred, let alone the individual had cased everything up to the point of knowing where our fuel tanks are located?"

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