Stephen Paddock

Stephen Craig Paddock[5] (April 9, 1953 – October 1, 2017)[6] was an American mass murderer who perpetrated the 2017 Las Vegas shooting.Paddock opened fire into a crowd of about 22,000 concertgoers attending a country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip, killing 60 people[a] and injuring approximately 867 (at least 413 of whom were wounded by gunfire).Paddock was a real-estate investor, property manager, accountant, private pilot and video poker gambler who lived in Mesquite, Nevada.After Benjamin was arrested, their mother told the children that their father had died in a car accident and kept his status as a bank robber a secret from the family.[18] Dolores proceeded to move her sons to the Sun Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles, where Stephen spent his remaining childhood and adolescence in a low-income household.According to one of Paddock's ex-wives in a police interview, he had spoken about how growing up with a single mother and the family's financial instability caused him to prioritize being self-reliant and self-sustaining.[25] Paddock lived in the Greater Los Angeles Area and owned personal property in Panorama City, Cerritos, and North Hollywood from the 1970s to early 2000s.[28][30] He was sometimes seen in high-limit rooms, but he was not well-known among high-stakes gamblers in Las Vegas and was not considered a "whale" (high roller) by the casinos.[40] He went on 20 cruise ship voyages, visiting several foreign ports including ones in Spain, Italy, Greece, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates.[10][44][45][46][47] Paddock's only recorded interaction with law enforcement was a minor traffic citation years before the shooting, which he settled in court.[48][49] According to court records, Paddock also sued the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in September 2012, saying he "slipped and fell on an obstruction on the floor" and was injured as a result; the lawsuit settled, and was dismissed with prejudice in October 2014.[51] The chief medical officer of the Las Vegas Recovery Center said the effects of the drug can be magnified by alcohol,[51] as confirmed by Michael First, a clinical psychiatry professor at Columbia University.[51][52][53][54] Paddock's autopsy revealed he was not under the influence of any psychoactive drugs or alcohol at the time of the shooting, though his urine did contain benzodiazepines.[55] During an interview with local CBS affiliate KLAS-TV, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said Paddock had reportedly been losing "a significant amount of wealth" since September 2015, which led to his having "bouts of depression".[3] In March 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released documents that speculated Paddock's motive as discontent over the alleged negative treatment he and other high rollers had been receiving at Las Vegas casinos.[75][76] All fourteen AR-15-type rifles were outfitted with bump stocks that make the act of using recoil to assist in pulling the trigger again easier and faster, increasing the weapon's rate of fire.The unarmed Campos had attempted to enter the 32nd floor first at 9:59 pm on an unrelated matter but he found the door to the hallway screwed shut by Paddock.[86][87] In addition to the firearms and accessories found in Paddock's hotel room, there was a note that included handwritten calculations about where he needed to aim to maximize his accuracy.Psychologists ex post facto have noted a distinct similarity between Paddock's demeanor and the psychological construct alexithymia,[107] which might have modulated his decision to conduct the shooting given its association with various mass murderers throughout history.
Paddock's Reno home in June 2019
Clinton, IowaParadise, NevadaSuicide by gunshot2017 Las Vegas shootingBenjamin Hoskins PaddockLas Vegas StripRoute 91 Harvestmass murderercountry music festivalmass shootingvideo pokerMesquite, NevadaBenjamin PaddockTucson, ArizonaFBI's most-wanted listSun ValleyLos AngelesSun Valley High SchoolJohn H. Francis Polytechnic High SchoolCalifornia State University, Northridgebusiness administrationpostal workerInternal Revenue ServiceDefense Contract Audit Agencyinternal auditorLockheed MartinGreater Los Angeles AreaPanorama CityCerritosNorth HollywoodHawthorne, CaliforniaMesquite, TexasLos Angeles County, Californiaretirement communityMelbourne, FloridaReno, NevadaPhilippinesalgorithmsgun lawsSecond Amendmentcruise shipGreeceJordanUnited Arab Emiratespilot's licenseCirrus SR20Cosmopolitan of Las Vegasprejudiceanti-anxietyValiumColumbia UniversitybenzodiazepinesKLAS-TVClark County SheriffJoe LombardoFederal Bureau of InvestigationLas Vegas Metropolitan Police DepartmentBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosivestarget practiceMandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.223-caliberAR-15 type rifles.308 caliberRuger Americanbolt-action rifle.38 caliberSmith & Wessonrevolverhigh-capacity magazinestelescopic sightsbump stockshard driveComputer forensicschild pornographyAmmonium nitrateimprovised explosive devicesTanneritebinary explosivemotiveStanford Universitybipolar disorderantidepressantsalexithymiaIslamic StateCatholicatheistEminemDarknessMusic to Be Murdered ByParamount+Las Vegas SunSFGateTheWrapPeople magazineThe Los Angeles TimesNewsweekQuad-City TimesArizona Daily StarThe New York TimesThe IndependentThe Orange County RegisterLos Angeles Daily NewsPérez-Peña, RichardThe Daily TelegraphThe Washington PostThe Salt Lake TribuneLas Vegas Review-JournalThe GuardianThe AustralianHeavy.comABC NewsBusiness InsiderNew York PostKTNV-TVThe New York PostThe Wall Street JournalAssociated PressNBC NewsDa Silva, ChantalNews.com.auFox News ChannelThe Huffington PostIndia TodayLiving MediaSyndications Today