Here is the radio traffic from LVMPD.
I did a rough timeline/transcription of the events.
SWAT did not make entry for over an hour. I think he was dead well before that and had not been shooting for about 45 minutes prior. But the OP is right.
This is a rough transcription and only has significant events. Throughout the broadcasts there is mass confusion, panic, officers hit and being transported, incorrect locations, countermanded orders, reports of “419s” (Dead bodies), open microphones, officers pinned down, citizens acting unilaterally and often counter to what is needed.
This is a combat zone with all its attendant chaos.
Dispatch was notified of shots fired at 10:08 pm.
Dispatch was notified that shooting was coming from
Mandalay Bay at 10:09, from “halfway up”. Presumably muzzle flashes were seen.
At 10:11 the Command Post that is set up in advance of these events confirmed that shots were fired from Mandalay Bay and multiple casualties.
At 10:12 A patrol Sgt. or Lt, calls for a five man strike to rally on him at Mandalay Bay and the Boulevard.
4 minutes gone by, rounds still outgoing.
Officers on the ground are still not entirely sure that there is one shooter or exactly the position and orientation of the shooter(s). Reports of shots coming from Gate 7.
At 11:12 a rifle has been deployed in front of Mandalay Bay, and calls go out to provide spotter info so the rifle armed officer can engage. Response is confusion on whether Mandalay or Luxor.
At 11:13 an officer reports that the shots are coming from the 50th or 60th floor. Another officer contradicts this by saying it is in the West Tower in the Center of the building.
At 10:14, an officer is reported shot.
At 10:14 another officer reports that he is on the 31st floor and can hear the automatic fire, one floor above us.
6 minutes have elapsed since the first reports of shots fired.
At 10:17, officers are still reporting that the shooter is in about the 15th floor.
At 10:19 Drunk civilians are reported to be running toward the gunfire. Also at this time another patrol supervisor has rallied a team of four and is moving to make contact with the suspect. Requests for the elevators to be shut down to limit the suspects movement have been made.
Also at this time there are two officers outside the shooters door, waiting for more officers to arrive.
At 10:21 officers are still receiving fire from suspect.
At 10:23 an officer reports that there may have been three shooters.
at 10:24 room 135 is identified as shooters room.
At 10:26 report of the security officer being hit comes in.
At 10:27, team holding the door of 135 advise that another team is in route and that there is a second shooter on the 29th floor.
At 10:29 a report of citizens trying to take shotguns out of police vehicles.
At 10:32 triage is being set up by FD.
At 10:36, a fireteam element has arrived on the 29th floor.
10:39 a SWAT team is moving up to the 32nd floor.
At 10:40, an officer reports that he has not heard any shots for about ten to fifteen minutes.
At 10:41 Z20 (Swat Team Leader) say they are on site.
10:45 report of a citizens taking patrol cars, officer requesting assistance.
At 10:49 a Swat officer is asking if the floor has been evacuated because snipers are staging soon. Rooms are being cleared one by one. Fireteams are stuck at the lobby because the elevators are shut down.
At 10:51, an officer reports a possible (suspect) at Reno and Tropicana.
At 10:58 officers report that the hallway where the shooters room is located is contained.
This broadcast ends at 11:06 without any further radio traffic.
After reviewing this, I believe that entry was not made for at least 72 minutes.
I was not there and cannot account for the tactical decisions. Officers had the room pegged 16 minutes from first report of shots fired. At some point they received fire from the room. That at least changed the focus of the shooter. Undoubtedly the officers were outgunned, overwhelmingly, with far less ammunition than the suspect.
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Some confusion in this article:
- Around 10:30 p.m. – A team of six police officers coordinate with hotel security and start searching for the gunman, floor by floor, Sheriff Joe Lampardo confirmed.
When they reach the 32nd floor, they are caught in an exchange of gunfire as Paddock reportedly shoots through the door. They call for backup. A security guard was shot in the leg during the search, but there was no specifics on how he was shot.
- Between 10:30 and 11:30 – SWAT teams are sent to the room in question. They blow the door open with explosives, and find Paddock dead from a gunshot wound. He was found with around 16 guns.
- 10:38 p.m. – Police confirm the shooting and that they are investigating.
https://globalnews.ca/news/3781748/las-vegas-shooting-timeline/
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He may have survived from 79 minutes. But he was only firing into the crowd for somewhere between 10 to 15 minutes.