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Las Vegas shooting suspect's girlfriend is 'person of interest', says sheriff Las Vegas gunman's girlfriend returns to US as police reveal details of massacre planning
(35 minutes later)
Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock’s girlfriend is “a person of interest” in the criminal investigation into America’s worst mass shooting, police said on Tuesday. Authorities investigating the Las Vegas mass shooting, the deadliest in modern US history, are preparing to question the girlfriend of gunman Stephen Paddock who is flying back to America after being named a ‘person of interest’ in the criminal case.
Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of Clark County said detectives are in contact with Marilou Danley, who was travelling in the Philippines at the time of the massacre and remains there. “The investigation with her is ongoing and we anticipate some further information from her shortly,” he told reporters. “Currently she is a person of interest.” As fresh details of the meticulous planning of the massacre were revealed by investigators, Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of Clark County told a press conference that detectives were in contact with Marilou Danley, who had been travelling in the Philippines at the time of the killings.
Lombardo declined to comment on an NBC news report that 64-year-old Paddock wired $100,000 to an account in the Philippines some time in the week before the attack. “The investigation with her is ongoing and we anticipate some further information from her shortly,” he told reporters. “Currently she is a person of interest.” It has since been confirmed that Danley has boarded a flight to the US where she is due to be met by FBI officers.
Paddock opened fire from the windows of his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, leaving 59 people dead and injuring more than 500 at a country music festival. Police stormed his room and found he had killed himself. Lombardo declined to comment on a report that 64-year-old Paddock had wired $100,000 to an account in the Philippines some time in the week before the attack.
Lombardo said the first report to police came at 10.08pm and Paddock continued to fire for nine minutes. The sheriff also told a press conference Paddock had set up cameras inside and outside his room, including one on a food service trolley. “I anticipate he was looking for anybody coming to take him into custody,” he said. However a spokesman for the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed the move.
Nick Suarez told AFP news agency that the the FBI, its US counterpart, had sought help in finding Danley.
“Danley arrived in the Philippines last month, and then there was a wire transfer to her account for $100,000 from Stephen,” he said. “The FBI has coordinated with the Philippine office of the Interpol to look for her.”
Suarez said the FBI considered Danley a “person of interest”, but not necessarily a suspect.
Paddock opened fire from the windows of his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, killing 59 people and injuring more than 500 at a country music festival. Police stormed his room and found he had killed himself.
On Tuesday, officials offered new information on Paddock and how he planned the attack. An agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said that 47 firearms had now been found in 3 different locations, including the hotel room, and Verde and Mesquite, Nevada.
Of those weapons, twelve had devices known as bump stocks attached that allowed semiautomatic rifles to mimic fully automatic gunfire. The agent, Jill Snyder, said officials had determined the devices were legal. The weapons – rifles shotguns pistols – were purchased in Nevada, Utah, California and Texas, she said
The sheriff’s office also released police body camera footage of officers responding during the shooting. The rapid gunfire bursts can be heard as officers shelter beside a wall and yelling at civilians to “get back”. One video shows officers beside a patrol car when one is shot.
The first report to police came at 10.08pm and Paddock continued to fire for “somewhere between nine and 11 minutes”, officials said.
Police also confirmed on Tuesday that Paddock had set up cameras inside and outside his room, including two in the hallway and one in the peephole of his hotel room door..
“I anticipate he was looking for anybody coming to take him into custody,” Lombardo said at an afternoon press conference.
The evidence offers an insight into Paddock’s careful planning of the shooting. Lombardo said: “I’m pretty sure he evaluated everything that he did in his actions, which is troubling.”The evidence offers an insight into Paddock’s careful planning of the shooting. Lombardo said: “I’m pretty sure he evaluated everything that he did in his actions, which is troubling.”
Police have said they found 23 guns in Paddock’s room at the hotel. The sheriff added: “We are aware of a device called a bump stock that enables an individual to speed up the discharge of ammunition.” Bump stocks can be used to modify guns and make them fire as if they were fully automatic. Paddock’s motive remains unknown. “This person may have been radicalised, unbeknownst to us, and we want to identify that source.”
He also said authorities had completed their investigation at the gunman’s property in Reno, finding five handguns, two shotguns and a “plethora” of ammunition.
Paddock’s motive remains unknown. “This person may have radicalised, unbeknownst to us, and we want to identify that source.”
The sheriff said the number of people injured would go down slightly because of some double counting. “We also had very heroic acts of people attending the event … Citizens providing medical aid and transport for people to get to the hospital.”The sheriff said the number of people injured would go down slightly because of some double counting. “We also had very heroic acts of people attending the event … Citizens providing medical aid and transport for people to get to the hospital.”
Lombardo added: “It’s an ongoing investigation and when I say I don’t know, I may know … I assure you this investigation is not ended with the demise of Mr Paddock.”Lombardo added: “It’s an ongoing investigation and when I say I don’t know, I may know … I assure you this investigation is not ended with the demise of Mr Paddock.”