Who Was the Vegas Gunman
The Vegas gunman was Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old retired accountant and real estate investor from Mesquite, Texas, who carried out the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. According to the FBI's final report and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Paddock fired from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino into a crowd of approximately 22,000 people attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival on October 1, 2017. The attack killed 60 people and injured more than 400, making it the largest mass casualty event in the United States since the September 11 attacks. Paddock died by suicide before law enforcement breached his suite, and no prior criminal record or known ties to international terrorism were found in the extensive background investigation.
The FBI's 477-page final report, released in 2018, concluded that Paddock acted alone and that no single motive was definitively established. The report examined his financials, mental health history, and extensive travel but found no clear ideological, political, or religious motivation. Paddock had no known connections to extremist groups, and the investigation ruled out domestic terrorism and gang-related activity. His brother, Eric Paddock, confirmed that Stephen had no history of violence or mental illness diagnosed by professionals. The report also noted that Paddock had meticulously planned the attack over several months, scouting the Mandalay Bay hotel and testing weapons on the hotel's firing range.
Weapons and Firepower Used in the Las Vegas Attack
The Vegas gunman was found with an arsenal of 23 firearms in his hotel suite, including 12 rifles modified with bump stocks to simulate automatic fire. The primary weapons included a Smith & Wesson M&P15 semi-automatic rifle chambered in .223 Remington and a DPMS Panther Arms AR-15 style rifle, both fitted with bump stocks. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Paddock also possessed multiple AR-15 and AK-47 style rifles, several shotguns, and handguns, all legally purchased over a period of more than a year. The ATF's final firearms examination report confirmed that none of the weapons had been altered to fire automatically in violation of the National Firearms Act, aside from the bump stock devices which were later banned by the Trump administration in 2018.
The shooting lasted approximately 10 minutes from the first shots to the final round, during which Paddock fired an estimated 1,100 rounds from his suite window. The ATF ballistics report indicated that the majority of the rounds were fired from the two rifles equipped with bump stocks, which allowed the semi-automatic weapons to achieve a rate of fire comparable to a machine gun. The weapons were purchased from gun stores in Nevada and Texas, and background checks were passed without issue, as Paddock had no disqualifying criminal or mental health records. The incident directly led to the federal ban on bump stocks, which was finalized by the ATF in December 2018 and upheld by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in subsequent legal challenges.
Financial Profile and Background of Stephen Paddock
Stephen Paddock was a high-roller gambler who regularly wagered tens of thousands of dollars per month at MGM Resorts properties, including the Mandalay Bay, where he held a player's card. According to gaming revenue reports and public gaming data, Paddock was classified as a "whale" or high-value patron, which granted him complimentary hotel stays, meals, and access to exclusive VIP areas. His real estate portfolio included multiple rental properties in Florida and a home in Mesquite, Texas, valued at approximately $500,000 at the time of his