On Sunday night, at around 10 p.m. local time, a suspected lone gunman identified as Stephen Craig Paddock opened fire at the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest country music festival, killing at least 50 people and injuring at least 400 others. Victims’ names have yet to be released, but Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo has confirmed that one officer was killed and another remains in critical condition.
Paddock was found dead by officers in a hotel room on the 32nd floor; he reportedy took his own life.
The massacre is the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
Reports are continuing to pour in, but here’s what we know about the alleged shooter and a female companion, person of interest Marilou Danley, in the case so far.
1. The shooter, Stephen Paddock, was a 64-year-old local man from Mesquite, Nevada, and was “known by police.”
Shooter is 64 y.o., Steven Paddock fm Mesquite, NV. No motive yet. Police searching his house now. He was known to local police. #9news
— Corey Rose (@CoreyRoseTV) October 2, 2017
NBC is reporting that Paddock "was known to local law enforcement". No sure about any arrests, etc but they knew of him in Mesquite.
— Corey Rose (@CoreyRoseTV) October 2, 2017
There have been reports that the gunman lived in a retirement home, though this remains unconfirmed. His hometown, Mesquite, is a small town that contains a few retirement communities.
See the confirmed image of Paddock from companion Marilou Danley’s Facebook page, below:
#LasVegas Suspect shooter may be Stephen C. Paddock – white male Photo from person of interest Marilou Danley FB page @ABC @MSNBC @foxneq pic.twitter.com/QY1IqAS55V
— NEUTRAL OBSERVER (@BlueLotusDC) October 2, 2017
2. Paddock used a fully automatic weapon. Additionally, upon searching the suspect’s home, officers found “several weapons.”
Las Vegas Shooting update: Sheriff just confirmed 50 dead. 200+ injured. Several weapons found in shooters room. #9news #9newsmornings
— Corey Rose (@CoreyRoseTV) October 2, 2017
Las Vegas Shooting update: Sheriff just confirmed 50 dead. 200+ injured. Several weapons found in shooters room. #9news #9newsmornings
— Corey Rose (@CoreyRoseTV) October 2, 2017
3. According to Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo, the motive remains unclear but is not suspected to be terrorism, meaning it was likely not associated with a political or religious aim.
“No,” said Sheriff Lombardo, when asked the massacre was a suspected “act of terrorism.”
“Not at this point,” he said. “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.”
4. Paddock was suspected to be the lone gunman, but officers have identified and found a person of interest, the shooter’s female companion Marilou Danley.
Danley, 4’11 and 111 pounds per Sheriff Lombardo, was reportedly traveling with Paddock, and has been located by officers.
Las Vegas shooting update:Woman of interest, Marilou Danley believed to have been located. "Cache of weapons"found in shooter's room. #9news
— Corey Rose (@CoreyRoseTV) October 2, 2017
Per the woman’s now-deleted Facebook account, Danley is married to a man named Geary Danely, a man interested in left-wing causes. (H/T @crvsadr)
UPDATE 9:45 a.m.: According to Sheriff Lombardo, Marilou Danley was found outside the country; Paddock reportedly utilized her ID.
Las Vegas Sheriff says Marilou Danley has been located outside the country and they believe suspect was utilizing her ID pic.twitter.com/c0o9GeZBEU
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 2, 2017
UPDATE 10:00 a.m.: Paddock was found dead by officers in a hotel room on the 32nd floor; he reportedly took his own life.
UPDATE 10:15 a.m.: The suspect’s brother gave a TV interview in which he said there were no warning signs and the attack made “no sense.”
We just spoke with the brother of Las Vegas shooting suspect Stephen Paddock. Says he's in shock. No indication why this happened. pic.twitter.com/xg7ZBAOppS
— Mark Lehman (@MarkLehman6) October 2, 2017