Largest Mass Shooting In The U.S.
- 58 killed
- Of the 489 people injured in the shooting, 317 have been discharged from hospitals and about 50 are in critical condition
Effect On Gun Laws
- According to the New York Times, “Top congressional Republicans, who for decades have resisted any legislative limits on guns, signalled on Wednesday that they would be open to banning “bump stocks,” the firearm accessory Mr. Paddock used to transform his rifles to mimic automatic weapon fire”
The Shooter
Stephen Paddock was a 64 year old from Mesquite, Nevada. He held various federal jobs in the 1970s and 80s. He was a US Postal Carrier, an agent with the IRS, and worked for the Defense Audit Contract Agency and the US Office of Personnel Management. His brother, Eric Paddock, said that Stephen was also a successful real estate agent with properties in Nevada, Florida and California. He was said to be a pretty normal guy that would be the type to do his own thing and “hang out in bars alone”. Both his brother and girlfriend have never thought that Paddock would do something like this.
The Girlfriend
Marilou Danley, Paddock’s girlfriend, was away in the Philippines when the shooting occurred. Danley, through her attorney, said Wednesday that she didn't know Paddock planned to carry out a mass shooting. According to CNN, “She said he bought her a ticket to the Philippines about two weeks ago, then wired her money so she could buy a house there, she said in a statement. At the time, she worried he was trying to break up with her, she said.” Paddock wired $100,000 to the Philippines, a law enforcement source said, but officials haven't determined when the money transfer took place or who received it. The FBI is working with Philippine authorities to get more details."It never occurred to me in any way whatsoever that he was planning violence against anyone," Danley said in the statement. "I will cooperate fully with their investigation. Anything I can do to help ease suffering and help in any way, I will do."
Timeline Of The Shooting
- Paddock travelled from Mesquite, Nevada to Las Vegas (1 hour and 20-minute drive).
- September 28: Paddock checked into the 32nd Floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
- October 1: Paddock smashes out two windows of his corner hotel room.
- 10:08 pm Paddock begins shooting into the crowd. The shooting continues for 10-15 minutes in series of rapid-fire bursts.
- 11:08 pm Mandalay Bay is locked down
- October 2: 12 am - Using explosives, police enter the shooter’s hotel room and find Paddock dead from a self-inflicted gunshot.
