Las Vegas shooting: Stephen Paddock set up cameras around hotel room while girlfriend is 'person of interest' - as it happened
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.At least 59 people were killed and 527 injured when a gunman rained bullets on crowds at a Las Vegas music festival.
A day on from the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, police are desperately seeking to understand what drove Stephen Paddock to discharge "clip after clip" into the 22,000 revellers at the Route 91 Harvest festival.
The 64-year-old "lone wolf" attacker, equipped with at least 23 weapons and two tripods, fired rifles out of two different windows from his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel before killing himself as police stormed his hideout.
Another 19 guns were found at a property occupied by Paddock about 80 miles away in Mesquite, Nevada.
Officials said he had altered those legally purchased weapons to operate on automatic before he began his deadly spree at around 10:08pm on Sunday.
Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said he was unable to speculate as to his motive, saying: "I can't get into the mind of a psychopath."
Authorities believe Paddock acted alone and dismissed suggestions he had any links to international terror, despite claims from Isis's news agency Amaq that he converted to Islam months before the shooting.
Video posted on social media appeared to show the moment the gunfire broke out as country star Jason Aldean performed, sparking mass chaos and scattering the crowd.
The massacre has reignited an outpouring of anger over the nation's lax gun ownership laws, which are protected by the second amendment.
As the nation was left reeling from the massacre, carried out in one of the world’s most iconic cities, Donald Trump sought to offer solace and condolence, first on Twitter and later in a sombre, televised address.
“In moments of tragedy and horror, America comes together as one. And it always has,” he said
Speaking on Tuesday morning, the President described the killer as a "sick, demented man".
In February, Mr Trump signed a resolution blocking an Obama-era rule that would have prevented an estimated 75,000 people with mental disorders from buying guns.
The rule was part of former President Barack Obama's push to strengthen the federal background check system following the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut shooting – the deadliest school shooting in US history.
A brother of Stephen Paddock has said that he is still mystified by the shooting as police search for a motive.
"It just makes less sense the more we use any kind of reason to figure it out," Eric Paddock said in a text message to Reuters. "I will bet any amount of money that they will not find any link to anything ... he did this completely by himself."
The Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock worked as a letter carrier for the US Postal Service, an IRS agent and in an auditing department over a 10-year period.
A spokeswoman for the Office of Personnel Management told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Stephen Paddock's employment included about two years as a mail carrier from 1976 to 1978.
After that, he worked as an agent for the Internal Revenue Service for six years until 1984. And then he worked a defense auditing job for about 18 months.
The information helped complete the timeline surrounding the 64-year-old Paddock's life. He graduated from college in 1977 from Cal State Northridge and also worked for a defense contractor in the late 1980s.
At a press conference, Sheriff Joe Lombardo said that all but three of the victims of the shooting have been identified.
Having completed a search of a property owned by Stephen Paddock in Reno, authorities have recovered five handguns, two shotguns and a number of electronic items.
That makes 49 firearms in total if you include the 23 found in the Mandalay Bay hotel room and the 19 at the property in Mesquite
Sheriff Lombardo says, when asked about the Paddock's girlfriend, Marilou Danley, he says that he can’t provide details but that she is on communication with police and they anticipate working with her in the investigation.
He does not say her current whereabouts: “all I know is the Philippines.” He categorizes her as “a person of interest”.
The gunman also placed cameras inside and outside of his hotel room, the sheriff says.
Sheriff Lombardo says that the actions of the gunman were pre-meditated and that the police action, and reaction by security in the hotel had saved hundreds of lives
Here's a look at some of the 59 victims who have been identified so far.
Jason Aldean, the musician slated to headline the Highway 91 festival Sunday night, has canceled planned shows in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Anaheim, California. The tour will will restart the next week in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
"I feel like out of respect for the victims, their families and our fans, it is the right thing to do. It has been an emotional time for everyone involved this week, so we plan to take some time to mourn the ones we have lost and be close with our family and friends," Aldean said in a statement.
"Our first time back onstage will be a very tough and emotional thing for us, but we will all get through it together and honor the people we lost by doing the only thing we know how to do - play our songs for them," the statement continued.
The gun store where Sunday's shooter reportedly bought some of his guns in northern Las Vegas has received threats, according to the owner.
David Famigliettie says that he and his employees have received hate mail and threats for selling a gun to the shooter. He also noted that Stephen Paddock had passed all background checks, and met state and local requirements to buy a firearm.
"My entire staff takes their job very seriously and if there were any 'red flags' during the transaction, like any other, it would have been halted immediately," a paper statement given to The Independent in the Las Vegas store reads.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has since interviewed the sales clerk there who sold him the gun, as has the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments