Las Vegas Shooter Stephen Paddock & Things You Need To Know About Him! (Videos)
by Tj Sotomayor October 2, 2017 0 commentsStephen Paddock: 5 Things You Need To Know!
By: Tommy “Tj” Sotomayor
Stephen Paddock has been identified as the gunman in the shooting at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Las Vegas that left more than 20 dead and at least 100 wounded, NBC News reports.
The shooter, a 64-year-old from Mesquite, Nevada, was firing from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel at the festival. Officers responded to that hotel room and engaged the suspect, killing him. They do not believe at this time that there were any other shooters, despite reports of multiple gunmen. Police said they do not have an accurate number of victims yet. Police have not yet released a motive. Paddock does not have any known ties to terrorist organization, NBC’s Pete Williams reports.
Photos and videos from the concert festival also showed multiple victims, including people on the ground, bleeding. The shooting was first reported about 10 p.m. local time. The scene remained active at 1 a.m. and people were being told to stay away. Las Vegas Police said it is an “active investigation.”
https://twitter.com/IAMJUSTINAARON/status/914739085717262337
This story is still developing and not much is known about Stephen Paddock so far. Here is what we do know about him and what we know about the shooting:
1. The Shooter Is a ‘Local Individual’ & Police Do Not Believe It Was an ‘Act of Terrorism’ ‘At This Point’
At least one suspect was reported to be “down” inside a room at the Mandalay Bay, police said. Police said the shooter is a “local individual” who was firing from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel just outside the concert area. He was killed inside the hotel room after a police SWAT team used an explosive breach to blow open the door and then engaged with him.
Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, has lived on Babbling Brook Court in Mesquite, Nevada, since June 2016. He previously lived in Reno, Nevada, from 2011 to 2016, and also had an address in Melbourne, Florida, from 2013 to 2015. He has also lived in Henderson, Nevada, and several locations in California since 1990. He was born April 9, 1953.
Mesquite is located about 80 miles, or an hour and 16 minutes, away from Las Vegas, along Nevada’s border with Arizona. Mesquite, a city in Clark County, is home to about 17,400 people, including several retirement communities, along with casinos and golf courses.
Sheriff Joe Lombardo, when asked by a reporter if it was an “act of terrorism,” said “no, not at this point. We believe it was a local individual. He resides here locally. I’m not at liberty to give you his place of residence yet, because it’s an ongoing investigation, we don’t know what his belief system was at this time. … Right now we believe he is the sole aggressor at this point and the scene is static.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6sv8TGLKmE&feature=youtu.be
Officers were obtaining warrants to search the home in Mesquite where the gunman lives. Paddock was known to law enforcement, NBC News’ Pete Williams reports. But details of those run-ins were not immediately available. Public records do not show any criminal convictions for Paddock in Nevada. Mesquite Police told CBS News that he had no run-ins with him. They said he lived in a retirement community, is a white male and wasn’t a military veteran.
“We believe it’s a solo actor. A lone wolf,” Lombardo said.
Lombardo said “We are comfortable that the primary aggressor in this event has expired or passed away and is no longer a threat.”
Police Are Looking for a ‘Companion’ of the Gunman, Who Lived in the Same Home as Him
Police are also looking for a “person of interest,” a 4’11” Asian woman named Marilou Danley. She was described as a “companion” of the shooter. A photo of her can be seen below:
“We have not located her at this time and we are interested in talking to her for followup,” Sheriff Joe Lombardo said at a press conference. Police are also looking for two vehicles with Nevada plates, a Hyundai Tucson with license plate number 114B40 and a Chrysler Pacifica Touring with plate number 19D401. They are registered to the gunman.
Police said Danley, 62, lived with the shooter in Mesquite. Public records show she lived at the same address as him since January 2017. Authorities have not yet said what role, if any, they believe she played in the shooting. They have also not said if she was seen with the suspect at the Mandalay Bay hotel or elsewhere prior to the shooting.
Terrifying.
Woman celebrating 21st birthday was in front row. Says another woman came during show & told everyone they were going to die. pic.twitter.com/kwe00GMmqR
— Ryan McKinnell (@RyanMcKinnell) October 2, 2017
A woman who was at the concert told a local news station that a “lady pushed her way forward in the concert venue. And she started messing with another lady and told us that we are all going to die tonight. … It was about 45 minutes the shots were actually fired. But then she was escorted out by security.” But police have not confirmed if they believe that was related to the shooting.
Marilou Danley’s Facebook profile reads, “Proud mom and grandma who lives life to the fullest.” Her last public post was an update of her profile picture in August. She had posted numerous photos of herself. Friends commented on her looks, and she wrote under one, “Thanks …That was taken at Wiltshire Roof Top Restaurant in L.A.” In 2016, she wrote in the comment thread under a photo, “…Kuha Sa Jumeira Beach, Dubai.”
She says on her Linkedin profile that she has worked at a casino in the past. She has also lived in Sparks and Reno, Nevada, along with Canton, Ohio; Springdale, Arkansas; and Memphis, Tennessee, according to public records.
Earlier scanner traffic indicated that police may have gotten Danley’s name, at least in part, from a credit/debit card left in the Mandalay Bay hotel room by the main suspect.
You can read more about Danley at the link below:
3. The Gunman Fired Dozens of Shots, Forcing Singer Jason Aldean Off the Stage & Concertgoers Racing to the Exits
About 40,000 fans were in the fairgrounds area, where there were multiple stages and other areas set up for the festival, according to The Associated Press. Concertgoer Kodiak Yazzi, 36, told the AP that the music stopped temporarily after a sound that was like a firecracker. It then started up again before another round of pops sent performers ducking for cover and fleeing the stage, while panicked fans also rushed for the exits. Yazzi told the AP he took cover and saw flashes of light coming from the Mandalay Bay hotel tower above the concert. He said the bursts would start and stop for about five minutes.
The concert festival was in its third day. The festival’s website showed that performers Sunday night included Jake Owen and Luke Combs, along with Jason Aldean, who was set to take the stage about 9:40 p.m. ABC News reports that Aldean was on stage when the shooting occurred, but is OK. A video shows Aldean singing and playing a guitar as gunshots ring out. He briefly continues to perform, before stopping and running off the stage. You can watch the video below:
#BREAKING VIDEO: Jason Aldean on stage as a gunman begins to fire upon crowd in Las Vegas #vegasshooting #Vegas #mandalaybay pic.twitter.com/Uy8UOK2NAS
— Nathan Drake (@babahererra) October 2, 2017
Aldean said on Instagram, “Tonight has been beyond horrific. I still dont know what to say but wanted to let everyone know that Me and my Crew are safe. My Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved tonight. It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night. #heartbroken #stopthehate.”
Country singer Jake Owen was among those at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. He tweeted, “Gun shots!!! Vegas. Pray to god. Love you guys. Love you Pearl.”
Praying for everyone here in Vegas. I witnessed the most unimaginable event tonight. We are okay. Others arent. Please pray.
— Jake Owen (@jakeowen) October 2, 2017
Owen later tweeted, “Praying for everyone here in Vegas. I witnessed the most unimaginable event tonight. We are okay. Others arent. Please pray.”
Another musician, Luke Combs, tweeted there was an active shooter at Route 91 Harvest, a three-day country music festival being held on the Las Vegas Strip.
Active shooter at @Route91Harvest in Vegas. We're safe. Love you guys.
— Luke Combs 🎤 (@lukecombs) October 2, 2017
“Active shooter at @Route91Harvest in Vegas. We’re safe. Love you guys,” Combs said.
You can watch live coverage of the shooting here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp-QVBT3ELQ
University Medical Center spokeswoman Danita Cohen told The Associated Press that 26 people were taken to that hospital. Two have since died and 12 are in critical condition, Cohen said. It is not clear how many other victims were taken to other hospitals.
https://twitter.com/amandavgomezzz/status/914729282567421952
The conditions of the other victims not in critical condition were not immediately available.
https://twitter.com/austinnolson/status/914754118509408257
4. Witnesses Say They Heard a Sound Like ‘Fireworks’ & Then Dozens of Gunshots
Witnesses told reporter Nathan O’Neal that hundreds of shots were fired after a loud bang that sounded like a firecracker.
https://twitter.com/NateNews3LV/status/914728749668507648
But police are indicating there was only one shooter. In chaotic active shooter situations, witnesses often report hearing or seeing multiple shooters, as sounds echo and come from different directions, and police and others are misidentified as gunmen.
Two girls who were front row at the concert -saw shooting begin – saw woman with what they say was a hole in head/not moving. #LVshooting pic.twitter.com/3NVDWEPYgf
— Lauren Blanchard News (@LaurenBlanch12) October 2, 2017
Another witness told ABC News, “Jason Aldean was playing and it just kind of sounded like some fireworks going off, and then I think there was the first kind of volley and then the second volley, and my buddy says ‘I got hit.’ … He got hit three times and people started diving to the ground. It was pretty much chaotic. Lots of people got hit.” The witness said his friend, who was shot three times in the chest, is going to be OK. He said another victim he was trying to help get to the hospital died in his arms.
ABC NEWS: Las Vegas shooting witness says "we watched these people getting gunned down…the air just reeked of gunpowder." pic.twitter.com/gyrTR2OwJZ
— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) October 2, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDgHmpQruUg&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COxEmUXp0J4&feature=youtu.be
Videos taken by concertgoers at the festival show people screaming and running as multiple gunshots can be heard. A witness says it sounded like a “machine gun.” In the video one person can be heard yelling, “get down,” while another shouts, “stay down” as shots ring out.
Police said in the initial radio dispatches that shots were fired and it sounded like it was coming from an “automatic” weapon. “We have an active shooter inside the fairgrounds,” the officer said:
Las Vegas police scanner initial scanner traffic of shooting pic.twitter.com/OGgHfbuPuF
— SacKat (@sachibub10) October 2, 2017
5. Mandalay Bay & Other Hotels Remain Locked Down
No official word from police but scanner traffic indicates a shooter at Mandalay Bay. Casino looks empty from as close as I could get. pic.twitter.com/4ocKgy2y13
— Blake Apgar (@blakeapgar) October 2, 2017
People at the Mandalay Bay casino and hotel reported that the casino was being evacuated.
I'm on the 6th floor. Shots reported on floor 29 now. Listening to LVPD scanner feed. Security guard shot on 32nd floor.
— Stefinatrix 🔞🏳️⚧️ (@Stefinatrix) October 2, 2017
Several roads in the area were being shut down and police were telling people in the area to barricade inside.
Police blocking Las Vegas Blvd at a Tropicana pic.twitter.com/YNV5nAifgQ
— Chase Stevens (@CSStevensphoto) October 2, 2017
Employees and guests at @TopgolfLasVegas are barricaded. Reports of active shooter.
— Dana Resnick Gentry (@DanaGentryLV) October 2, 2017
Shooting in Las Vegas. People fleeing (video from the Mandalay Bay hotel) pic.twitter.com/hs98J5uK6T
— Eiki Hrafnsson (@EirikurH) October 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/Warrystar/status/914731259158339584
https://twitter.com/MaxMichor/status/914743202703335425
“There has been multiple, multiple phone calls and accusations, or conjecture coming through social media that there are multiple shooters at other resorts, that has been proven to be false,” Sheriff Joe Lombardo said. “Additionally there has been accusations or beliefs there is some explosives going off. That is also fault. The only explosive in this event was from our SWAT team breaching the room.”
Those who are in lock down at casinos and other locations along the strip are being asked to stay where they are.
“I still want them to shelter in place,” Lombardo said. “They will be contacted by first responders and they will advise them when they are free to go. It is better to shelter in place than to be unaware.”
According to police, there are multiple shooting scenes on the Las Vegas Boulevard in the area of the Mandalay Bay casino. Police were investigating at least three locations, according to scanner reports. Multiple calls were being made reporting shots fired at several other locations in the hour after the initial calls, but people there, including police officers, were not hearing the shots. Officers believe the calls were possibly being made as a diversion.
Police were also investigating an SUV with a possible suspicious device inside on Las Vegas Boulevard. And officers were searching the suspect’s home.
Flights at the Las Vegas airport were being held as a precaution.
Police investigating reported shootings on Las Vegas Strip near @LASairport. Flight activity will be affected this evening; expect delays.
— Harry Reid International Airport (@LASairport) October 2, 2017
Police added, “Please avoid heading to the south end of the (Las Vegas) Strip. Las Vegas (Boulevard) is shut down at Tropicana, southbound past Russell (Road) at this time. … I15 Freeway is closed to traffic at this time from Tropicana to Russel Road. Again, please avoid the area.”
The FBI and ATF are also at the scene, according to reports. But they have not taken over the investigation at this time, ABC News reports.
Police have asked anyone with cell phone or other videos from the shooting to provide them to investigators. “Anybody that may have cell phone video or any type of video associated with this event that would be a benefit to the investigation, please respond to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarters at 400 South Martin Luther King and we will take custody of that video. Please bring that down to the headquarters.”
Family members can go to a “family retreat area” to help locate loved ones at the headquarters.
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