The man suspected of killing 58 people and injured more than 500 others at a Las Vegas music festival has been named by police as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock.
First photo released of the Las Vegas shooter, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock; he was found dead in Mandalay Bay hotel room he fired shots from pic.twitter.com/hr6O5UApHf
— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 2, 2017
He did not have a criminal record, according to local authorities who believe Paddock acted as a “lone wolf,” and have failed to come up with a motive.
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His own family expressed “horror” that Paddock was capable of committing mass murder. We have absolutely no idea how in the world Steve did this. Absolutely no concept,” an unnamed relative told reporters. “There was nothing secret or strange about him.”
His brother said he was “not an avid gun guy,”despite being found with at least 10 firearms.
The Independent reports:
Paddock, a grandfather from Mesquite, Nevada, is believed to have been firing down at concert-goers from the 32nd floor.
A Swat team used a controlled explosion to enter the hotel room, where Paddock was found dead, according to a police statement.
Officials believe Paddock killed himself before the officers entered.
At least 10 guns were recovered from the room, where Paddock had been staying since Thursday.
Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said police had found nothing to suggest a motive for the attack.
When asked during a news conference why the police were not treating the incident as an act of terrorism, he said: “We have to establish what his motivation is first.
“There are motivating factors associated with terrorism other than a distraught person just intending to cause mass casualty. Before we label with that it will be a matter of process.”
Isis later claimed responsibility for the massacre, saying the shooter was “a soldier of the Islamic State” who answered “calls to target coalition countries”.
A statement published by the group’s Amaq propaganda agency – which cannot be independently verified – claimed he “converted to Islam several months ago”.
The wording of the release is similar to other attacks believed to have been inspired, rather than directed, by Isis.
Special Agent Aaron Rouse of the FBI responded to the Isis statement saying: “As this event unfolds to this point we have determined no connection with an international terrorist group.”
Niamh Harris
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