The single suspect behind the deadly Las Vegas massacre that unfolded on Sunday evening has been identified as 64-year-old retiree Stephen Paddock; here’s what we know about the lone gunman so far.
The man behind the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States was identified late Sunday night by the Las Vegas Police Department as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Texas.
Paddock recently purchased a $400,000 home in a retirement community roughly 90 miles from Las Vegas, where lived with 62-year-old Marilou Danley. Police initially sought Danley in connection with the deadly attack, but have since said she was no longer a person of interest.
Paddock possesses a hunting license, fishing license, as well as a valid pilot’s license; and the Daily Mail reports the suspect once worked for defense giant Lockheed Martin.
Paddock fired down on the Route 91 Harvest Festival from the 32nd floor window of his Mandalay Bay Resort hotel room before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police on the scene said they found an “excess of ten rifles” surrounding the suspect.
His motives behind the deadly assault are still unknown.
Over 20,000 people were attending the festival at the time of the shooting, as country star Jason Aldean was performing his final song of the evening. At least 50 people are dead and over 400 are seriously injured.