While investigators work to figure out Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock’s motive, it’s become increasingly clear that he omitted no details from his preparations. Paddock meticulously plotted the attack that killed 59 people and injured over 525 more. In doing so, he cultivated a massive arsenal of weaponry — which employed “bump stocks” — and even arranged to protect his girlfriend, Marilou Danley. More puzzle pieces have now emerged, including the following:
- Paddock’s Hotel Cameras: In addition to Paddock’s mysterious wire transfer to the Philippines, he also thought to install cameras within and outside his Mandalay Bay hotel room. Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo revealed that several devices were discovered, including one on a hallway service cart. Authorities have taken all cameras into custody, and they believe that Paddock installed them to see when law enforcement approached his room. Police say that Paddock killed himself, although it’s not clear whether this happened before after officers entered the room.
- The 10-Minute Attack: Police say that Paddock’s massacre, carried out from the 32nd floor of the hotel, lasted from 9 to 11 minutes. Clark County Undersheriff Kevin McMahill stated that the first call to emergency services happened at 10:08 local time, and witnesses and first responders heard gunshots until 10:19pm. From there, the confusing timeline and difficulties faced by authorities in locating Paddock meant that it took another full hour for police to pinpoint his exact location, thanks in part to the hotel’s smoke detectors.
- Police Bodycam Footage: The Las Vegas Police Department has released some dramatic bodycam footage, which arrives with a warning for graphic content and can be viewed here. Within the clip, an officer can be seen shielding a concertgoer’s body as shots ring out. Some people within the corresponding reply thread remarked that it sounded like more than one gun was being fired, but an echo effect helps establish law enforcement’s conclusion that Paddock was the only gunman.
The New York Times notes that all of these new details are being scrutinized by the F.B.I. to reconstruct Paddock’s actions in an effort to ascertain his motive. However and as the bureau’s deputy director, Andrew McCabe admits, “We still have a lot to do.”
(Via CNN, New York Times, The Independent, Al Jazeera & ABC News)