The gunman behind the Las Vegas massacre that left 59 people dead and over 500 wounded researched potential targets in Chicago and Boston, going so far as to rent a hotel room near Chicago’s Grant Park during a music festival attended by Malia Obama.
According to NBC News, Stephen Paddock conducted extensive research on Chicago’s Grant Park and Boston’s Fenway Park in the months before his deadly Las Vegas rampage. The gunman even rented a room in Chicago during the Aug 3rd to Aug 6th weekend-long Lollapalooza festival; a giant music concert attended by Malia Obama, the daughter of former President Barack Obama.
Insiders close to the investigation said that Paddock also researched hotel rooms surrounding Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. It is unclear if the gunman ever traveled to either city while preparing for his rampage on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.
The news comes as federal investigators determine whether Paddock rented another Las Vegas hotel room in late September, this time during the “Life is Beautiful” music festival.
Paddock, a 64-year-old former accountant from Mesquite, Nevada, killed 59 people when he opened fire from his high-rise hotel room; turning a country music festival into a killing field. After a thorough search of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, police found roughly 50 pounds of explosives and over 1,600 rounds of ammunition in the suspect’s car.
His motive remains unknown.