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The gunman who police said sprayed bullets into a crowd of people at a country music festival in Las Vegas was an avid gambler who lived in an upscale retirement community about 80 miles outside the city.
Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, opened fire from his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino around 10:15 p.m. on Sunday, during a performance by Jason Aldean at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, authorities said. At least 59 people were killed, making it the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Over 500 others were injured.
A SWAT team blew open the entry to Paddock’s hotel room with an explosive and found him dead, police said. The hotel was across the street from the outdoor venue. Paddock had been registered as a guest there since Sept. 28.
Authorities found 23 weapons in the room, including assault-style rifles and some arms that may have been modified in an attempt to convert them into machine guns, Reuters reported. The cache included AR-15-style and AK-47-style rifles and a large amount of ammunition.
Another 19 firearms, some explosives and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found at Paddock’s home in Mesquite, Nevada, totaling 42 weapons in Paddock’s possession, Reuters reported.
Paddock is reported to have smashed hotel windows prior to the shooting with a hammer-like device. A law enforcement official said two rifles with scopes on tripods were found positioned in front of the broken windows.
The violent scenes comes at odds to what Paddock’s family and friends say they knew about him.
Eric Paddock, Stephen Paddock’s brother, told reporters that the alleged shooter was a multimillionaire who invested in real estate and previously worked in accounting. Eric Paddock, who lives in Central Florida, said his brother was retired and described him as “just a guy” who frequented Las Vegas hotels, gambled and attended shows.
“We are completely dumbfounded,” he told The Orlando Sentinel. “We can’t understand what happened.”
He added that his brother was never violent and had no history of mental illness. He had “no religious affiliation” and “no political affiliation,” he said.
CBS video
Paddock and his three brothers were raised by a single mother who moved the family around the country to places like Iowa and Arizona, another brother, Patrick Paddock II, told the New York Times. The boys’ father, Benjamin Paddock, was a bank robber who made the FBI’s Most Wanted List after breaking out of prison. Their mother told them their father had died, Patrick Paddock said.
Stephen “was the least violent in the family during my childhood,” he said. “So, it’s kind of like, ‘Who?’
Eric Paddock told reporters that his brother had lived in Viera, north of Melbourne, but left Florida in 2015 in pursuit of better weather and more access to gambling. He said that he spoke to his brother earlier in the month about how their elderly mother was faring in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
Stephen Paddock gambled more than $10,000 a day numerous times in recent weeks at Las Vegas casinos, according to NBC News, which cited a casino executive and a source who had seen reports to the government on cash transactions. Some of Paddock’s transactions topped $30,000, NBC said. It was unclear whether Paddock was a winner or loser, according to the network.
Paddock bought his current residence in Mesquite in 2015, according to USA Today. The Sun City Mesquite senior complex features 1,400 homes, an 18-hole golf course, swimming pools and a recreation center. Paddock lived with his girlfriend, Marilou Danley. Law enforcement initially named her as “a person of interest,” but later said she was not believed to have been involved with the attack, and is not currently in the country.
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A former Florida neighbor said Paddock described himself as a professional gambler and was “very trusting,” the Palm Beach Post reported. Don Judy recalled how Paddock handed him a house key on their first meeting in 2013, asking him to check on his home and welcoming him to use any new equipment inside.
Paddock had also owned rental properties in Southern California and in Texas, the LA Times said.
Paddock owned two airplanes and had a private pilot’s license, according to public records. He no history of criminality that would raise red flags, police said.
“All of the checks that we have been able to do other than a routine traffic violation here in Nevada and nationwide working with our local FBI partners have been able to find no derogatory history on that individual,” Undersheriff Kevin McMahill said. “It’s one of those really sad, tragic things that a man that’s 64 years old that really had no other reason that we can find at least in his history here to go out and wound that many people.”
Paddock had twice been married and divorced, CNN reported, citing court records. His former brother-in-law, Scott Brunoehler, told the LA Times that he “seemed like a normal, good guy.” Brunoehler said Paddock’s marriage to his sister Sharon ended amicably.
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Sgt. Cort Bishop told the Daily Mail that his other ex-wife, Peggy Paddock, “hasn’t had any recent contact with him at all.”
Two Nevada gun stores told NBC News that they had sold firearms to Paddock within the last year, and that he passed all required background checks. It is unclear if those guns were used in the mass shooting Sunday night.
“Mr. Paddock was a customer and purchased firearms from our store; however, all necessary background checks and procedures were followed, as required by local, state, and federal law,” said Christopher Sullivan, the general manager of Guns & Guitars, Inc. “He never gave any indication or reason to believe he was unstable or unfit at any time. We are currently cooperating with the ongoing investigation by local and federal law enforcement in any way we can.”
Authorities said they didn’t know what motivated the shooter.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, but a law enforcement spokesman said in a press conference there is no indication of that.
Eyewitnesses in Vegas said the gunman fired continuous bursts of automatic gunfire onto the crowd, then paused for 10 to 15 seconds and began shooting again.
Mesquite police assisted Vegas cops in securing the suspect’s home and assisting in the search, a Mesquite Police Department spokesman told HuffPost.
Hayley Miller contributed reporting.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Infos de dernière minute et opinions sur | Le Huffington Post
Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, opened fire from his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino around 10:15 p.m. on Sunday, during a performance by Jason Aldean at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, authorities said. At least 59 people were killed, making it the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Over 500 others were injured.
A SWAT team blew open the entry to Paddock’s hotel room with an explosive and found him dead, police said. The hotel was across the street from the outdoor venue. Paddock had been registered as a guest there since Sept. 28.
Authorities found 23 weapons in the room, including assault-style rifles and some arms that may have been modified in an attempt to convert them into machine guns, Reuters reported. The cache included AR-15-style and AK-47-style rifles and a large amount of ammunition.
Another 19 firearms, some explosives and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found at Paddock’s home in Mesquite, Nevada, totaling 42 weapons in Paddock’s possession, Reuters reported.
Paddock is reported to have smashed hotel windows prior to the shooting with a hammer-like device. A law enforcement official said two rifles with scopes on tripods were found positioned in front of the broken windows.
The violent scenes comes at odds to what Paddock’s family and friends say they knew about him.
Eric Paddock, Stephen Paddock’s brother, told reporters that the alleged shooter was a multimillionaire who invested in real estate and previously worked in accounting. Eric Paddock, who lives in Central Florida, said his brother was retired and described him as “just a guy” who frequented Las Vegas hotels, gambled and attended shows.
“We are completely dumbfounded,” he told The Orlando Sentinel. “We can’t understand what happened.”
He added that his brother was never violent and had no history of mental illness. He had “no religious affiliation” and “no political affiliation,” he said.
CBS video
Paddock and his three brothers were raised by a single mother who moved the family around the country to places like Iowa and Arizona, another brother, Patrick Paddock II, told the New York Times. The boys’ father, Benjamin Paddock, was a bank robber who made the FBI’s Most Wanted List after breaking out of prison. Their mother told them their father had died, Patrick Paddock said.
Stephen “was the least violent in the family during my childhood,” he said. “So, it’s kind of like, ‘Who?’
Eric Paddock told reporters that his brother had lived in Viera, north of Melbourne, but left Florida in 2015 in pursuit of better weather and more access to gambling. He said that he spoke to his brother earlier in the month about how their elderly mother was faring in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
Stephen Paddock gambled more than $10,000 a day numerous times in recent weeks at Las Vegas casinos, according to NBC News, which cited a casino executive and a source who had seen reports to the government on cash transactions. Some of Paddock’s transactions topped $30,000, NBC said. It was unclear whether Paddock was a winner or loser, according to the network.
Paddock bought his current residence in Mesquite in 2015, according to USA Today. The Sun City Mesquite senior complex features 1,400 homes, an 18-hole golf course, swimming pools and a recreation center. Paddock lived with his girlfriend, Marilou Danley. Law enforcement initially named her as “a person of interest,” but later said she was not believed to have been involved with the attack, and is not currently in the country.
Subscribe to the Lifestyle email
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Top of Form
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A former Florida neighbor said Paddock described himself as a professional gambler and was “very trusting,” the Palm Beach Post reported. Don Judy recalled how Paddock handed him a house key on their first meeting in 2013, asking him to check on his home and welcoming him to use any new equipment inside.
Paddock had also owned rental properties in Southern California and in Texas, the LA Times said.
Paddock owned two airplanes and had a private pilot’s license, according to public records. He no history of criminality that would raise red flags, police said.
“All of the checks that we have been able to do other than a routine traffic violation here in Nevada and nationwide working with our local FBI partners have been able to find no derogatory history on that individual,” Undersheriff Kevin McMahill said. “It’s one of those really sad, tragic things that a man that’s 64 years old that really had no other reason that we can find at least in his history here to go out and wound that many people.”
Paddock had twice been married and divorced, CNN reported, citing court records. His former brother-in-law, Scott Brunoehler, told the LA Times that he “seemed like a normal, good guy.” Brunoehler said Paddock’s marriage to his sister Sharon ended amicably.
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Sgt. Cort Bishop told the Daily Mail that his other ex-wife, Peggy Paddock, “hasn’t had any recent contact with him at all.”
Two Nevada gun stores told NBC News that they had sold firearms to Paddock within the last year, and that he passed all required background checks. It is unclear if those guns were used in the mass shooting Sunday night.
“Mr. Paddock was a customer and purchased firearms from our store; however, all necessary background checks and procedures were followed, as required by local, state, and federal law,” said Christopher Sullivan, the general manager of Guns & Guitars, Inc. “He never gave any indication or reason to believe he was unstable or unfit at any time. We are currently cooperating with the ongoing investigation by local and federal law enforcement in any way we can.”
Authorities said they didn’t know what motivated the shooter.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, but a law enforcement spokesman said in a press conference there is no indication of that.
Eyewitnesses in Vegas said the gunman fired continuous bursts of automatic gunfire onto the crowd, then paused for 10 to 15 seconds and began shooting again.
Mesquite police assisted Vegas cops in securing the suspect’s home and assisting in the search, a Mesquite Police Department spokesman told HuffPost.
Hayley Miller contributed reporting.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Infos de dernière minute et opinions sur | Le Huffington Post
