FBI Says Las Vegas Shooter’s Motives Were Mass Destruction, Infamy
The FBI says the 64-year-old gunman who took 58 lives and injured hundreds more during a 2017 shooting in Las Vegas was looking for infamy and mass destruction. Beyond that, we'll never know.
Speaking to the Associated Press, FBI agent Aaron Rouse said the venue was not important. "It was all about doing the maximum amount of damage and him obtaining some form of infamy," he reveals (quote via the Tennessean).
Stephen Paddock fired 1,000 rounds of ammunition on more than 20,000 people who were attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival on Oct. 1, 2017. Jason Aldean was on stage at the time and was one of several country artists who found cover with their crew and teams. Hundreds of fans could not.
The Associated Press article elaborates more on witness descriptions of Paddock's mental state at the time and shares new information acquired from interviews with family and his girlfriend. His brother called him the "king of microaggression" and girlfriend Marilou Danley said Paddock often told her "Your God doesn't love me."
Investigators have concluded he acted alone. At least two people recalled having conversations with him about a "chemical imbalance" or depression. The gunman left no note — he took his own life on that day. The guns were legally purchased, but were fitted with bump stock devices, high capacity magazines, bipod braces and scopes.
This new report echoes a report filed by Las Vegas police in August. In December, a person close to the festival indicated it may return at a new Las Vegas venue in 2019.
Remember the Victims of Route 91 and Their Stories: