America’s most powerful gun-rights lobbying group has claimed “nothing could have been done” to prevent the mass shooting in Las Vegas in which 58 people were killed and more than 500 injured.

In the aftermath of the shooting perpetrated by a 64-year-old former accountant, many have called on politicians to seize on the movement to demand tougher restrictions on guns.

Yet, a spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association (NRA), which endorsed Donald Trump and donated millions of dollars to his campaign, sought to dismiss such suggestions.

Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People scramble for shelter at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after gun fire was heard Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People carry a person at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after shots were fired David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People run from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after gun fire was heard David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A handout photo released via Twitter by Eiki Hrafnsson (@EirikurH) showing concertgoers running away from the scene (C) after shots range out at the Route 91 Harvest festival on Las Vegas Boulevard EPA/Eiki Hrafnsson Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People lie on the ground at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after hearing gun fire Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A man in a wheelchair is taken away from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after hearing gun fire David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People stand on the street outside the Mandalay Bay hotel near the scene of the Route 91 Harvest festival on Las Vegas Boulevard EPA/Paul Buck Las Vegas shooting – in pictures FBI agents confer in front of the Tropicana hotel-casino after a mass shooting during a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip Reuters/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Las Vegas police run by a banner on the fence at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival grounds after shots were fired David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures An injured person is tended to in the intersection of Tropicana Ave. and Las Vegas Boulevard after a mass shooting at a country music festival Ethan Miller/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Metro Police officers pass by the front of the Tropicana hotel-casino after a mass shooting at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip Reuters/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A woman sits on a curb at the scene of a shooting outside of a music festival along the Las Vegas Strip AP/John Locher Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A cowboy hat lays in the street after shots were fired near a country music festival in Las Vegas Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Las Vegas Metro Police and medical workers stage in the intersection of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard South after a mass shooting at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip Reuters/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Sheriff Joe Lombardo (2-R) speaking during a press briefing in the aftermath of the active shooter incident on Las Vegas Boulevard EPA

“There’s nothing that could have been done, unfortunately, to prevent this tragedy,” Dana Loesch told Fox News.

She added: “I know this investigation is ongoing and I don’t want to get ahead of the law enforcement that’s involved in this right now, but usually with individuals like these there are some sort of red flags and I’m just curious what kind of vibe, what kind of red flags, this individual was putting out.”

Following the shooting, the White House said it was not the right time to discuss the issue of gun regulations. Mr Trump said the topic would be addressed “as time goes on”.

Yet others said it was crucial the country used the incident to press for greater controls.

Jason Aldean addresses night of Las Vegas massacre

“The crowd fled at the sound of gunshots,” Hillary Clinton tweeted the day after the attack.

“Imagine the deaths if the shooter had a silencer, which the NRA wants to make easier to get.”

She added: “Our grief isn’t enough. We can and must put politics aside, stand up to the NRA, and work together to try to stop this from happening again.”

Investigators said they believed the arsenal of weapons amassed by the Las Vegas shooter, Stephen Paddock, had been legally purchased. Police have said the 64-year old used a so-called bump-stock device to fire one or more of numerous semi-automatic weapons he took to the 32nd Floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino, as if they were fully automatic.

Last week, the NRA had stunned many Washington observers when it said it was willing to support a restriction on bump stocks.

Yet over the weekend, it clarified its position, saying it would oppose an outright ban on such devices.

“We don’t believe that bans have ever worked on anything,” said Chris Cox, the NRA’s chief lobbyist.

“What we have said has been very clear - that if something transfers a semiautomatic to function like a fully automatic, then it ought to be regulated differently.”

Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein told NBC the US was a “gun-happy country”.