Machine gun tourism in spotlight after Vegas shooting

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The latest mass shooting in the US didn't just happen anywhere. It happened in Las Vegas, a place where gun entertainment has become very popular.

LAS VEGAS (REUTERS) - The latest mass shooting in the US did not just happen anywhere.

It happened in Las Vegas, where gun culture and entertainment have been taken to a whole new level.

"It's become a very, very popular attraction without a doubt," said Machine Gun Vegas owner Genghis Cohen.

Mr Cohen owns and operates Machine Gun Vegas, a firearm experience business. Clients can shoot automatic weapons, and even kids can join in. Most of the customers are from overseas countries where guns are either harder to get or banned for citizens.

Following the shooting, Mr Cohen closed his business for two days and posted a statement on the website calling for stricter gun laws.

"There is absolutely no reason for an average citizen who wants to have a gun to have a 100 round magazine. There is no reason for them to buy something that makes the gun almost fully automatic," said Mr Cohen.

Police say more than half of the 23 firearms found in the lone shooter's hotel suite were fitted with a device called a bump stock to speed up firing.

The incident has brought machine gun tourism into the spotlight.

While Mr Cohen closed his doors as a show of respect to victims' families, many other gun ranges offering automatic weapon experiences remained open.

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