Police, FBI seek public's help in finding motive behind Las Vegas massacre

[rooster59]

Police, FBI seek public's help in finding motive behind Las Vegas massacre

By Alexandria Sage and Sharon Bernstein

 

People gather to look at white crosses set up for the victims of the Route 91 Harvest music festival mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., October 6, 2017. REUTERS/Chris Wattie

 

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Baffled police and FBI agents, still lacking a clear motive for the Las Vegas massacre of 58 people by a lone gunman five days ago, appealed to the public on Friday to come forward with any information that might help solve the mystery.

 

Clark County Undersheriff Kevin McMahill said investigators have, to no avail, run down more than 1,000 leads seeking clues to what drove a 64-year-old wealthy retiree with a penchant for gambling to carry out the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

 

The gunman, Stephen Paddock, poured a barrage of gunfire from the windows of his 32nd-floor hotel suite into a crowd of 20,000 people attending an outdoor music festival on Sunday night, then killed himself before police stormed his room.

 

In addition to the 58 people killed, nearly 500 were injured, some by gunfire, some trampled or otherwise hurt while running for cover.

 

Unlike so many other perpetrators of deadly mass shootings before him, Paddock left behind no suicide note, no manifesto, no recordings and no messages on social media pointing to his intent, according to police.

 

"We have looked at everything, literally, to include the suspect's personal life, any political affiliation, his social behaviours, economic situation, any potential radicalisation," McMahill told reporters. "We are looking at every aspect from birth to death of this suspect and this case."

 

McMahill acknowledged that Islamic State had repeatedly claimed responsibility for the attack, but said investigators had uncovered "no nexus" between that Mideast-based militant group and Paddock.

 

In an unusual bid to cast a wider net for additional tips, the FBI and police have arranged with communications company Clear Channel to post billboards around Las Vegas urging members of the public to come forward with any information they believe might help investigators.

 

The billboards will bear the slogan, "If you know something, say something," and carry a toll-free number to an FBI hotline, said Aaron Rouse, special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office.

 

"We have not stopped, we will not stop until we have the truth," Rouse said.

 

McMahill said investigators were satisfied that no one else was in the room with Paddock, who checked into the Mandalay Bay hotel three days before the massacre.

 

"We're very confident ... there was not another shooter in that room," he said.

 

But police have said they suspect Paddock may have had assistance at some point before the killings, based on the large number of guns, ammunition and explosives that were found in the hotel suite, his home, his car and a second home searched in Reno.

 

Authorities have said that 12 of the weapons recovered from Paddock's hotel suite were equipped with so-called bump-stock devices that enable semi-automatic rifles to be operated as if they were fully automatic machine-guns.

 

Paddock's ability to fire hundreds of rounds per minute over the course of his 10-minute shooting spree was a major factor in the high casualty count, police said.

 

The National Rifle Association, the influential gun lobby that has staunchly opposed moves to tighten firearms control laws after previous mass shootings, came out on Thursday in favour of placing new regulations on bump stock accessories.

 

Reports have emerged in recent days that Paddock may have targeted other sites for attack in Las Vegas, Chicago or Boston before Sunday's shooting, which police have said they were investigating.

 

Paddock's girlfriend, Marilou Danley, 62, was questioned by the FBI on Wednesday and said in a statement she never had any inkling of Paddock's plans.

 

Danley, who returned late on Tuesday from a family visit to the Philippines, is regarded by investigators as a "person of interest." The Australian citizen of Filipino heritage is cooperating fully with authorities, her lawyer said.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-10-07

[julietx]

american society + military weapons = gun massacres

 

there are literally millions of nuts like stephen that just haven't completely lost it yet

[nausea]

That's why they're so desperate to find a motive; if it was just a Gidean acte gratuit the implications for such a heavily armed society are rather frightening.

[NanLaew]

This is what happens when, "Because he could" isn't reason enough.

[NanLaew]

Meanwhile, the main manufacturer of these previously unknown devices has suspended sales... unless you sign up first.

 

PS: Apparently they sold out within 48-hours of the Vegas shooting.

 

PPS. If you have the audio turned up on their embedded video, be prepared to be a little bit sick in your mouth.

 

Edited October 7, 2017 by NanLaew

[pegman]

57 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

This is what happens when, "Because he could" isn't reason enough.

Well it may very well have been and don't think there aren't a bunch of copy cats who would love to emulate him. But what the heck, people like Pretty Boy Floyd, Jeese James, Bonnie & Clyde were folk heros there.

[Suradit69]

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The National Rifle Association, the influential gun lobby that has staunchly opposed moves to tighten firearms control laws after previous mass shootings, came out on Thursday in favour of placing new regulations on bump stock accessories.

 

Something tells me they're contemplating closing the barn door once the horses are well clear of the farm. 

 

Probably as we speak a dozen new nut jobs are going to try to get an even bigger body count. 

 

Quote

Some gun sellers say customers are rushing to buy bump stocks -- the accessories that make rifles fire like automatic weapons -- since the massacre in Las Vegas.

 

"Oh, God, yes, it's been insane. Since this story has broke, we've been getting about 50 people a day asking for them," said Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works in Austin, Texas. He said his distributors sold out, too.

 

Gun sellers told CNNMoney they believe the sales spike is driven by fears of tighter gun control -- perhaps including a ban on bump stocks -- since the attack in Las Vegas, the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/05/smallbusiness/bump-fire-stocks/index.html

[Suradit69]

3 hours ago, tptptp007 said:

That's why they are desperate to find motivation.  แทงบอล sbobet

They're desperate to find some alien organization to blame it on rather than admit yet another right wing white American whack job is to blame aided and abetted by the NRA controlled Congress.

[Damaz6052]

4 hours ago, nausea said:

That's why they're so desperate to find a motive; if it was just a Gidean acte gratuit the implications for such a heavily armed society are rather frightening.

No motive found yet! He could have done it for sport alone.

[mduras01]

Glad I’m on this side of the world.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Grouse]

5 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Meanwhile, the main manufacturer of these previously unknown devices has suspended sales... unless you sign up first.

 

PS: Apparently they sold out within 48-hours of the Vegas shooting.

 

PPS. If you have the audio turned up on their embedded video, be prepared to be a little bit sick in your mouth.

 

How can this be legal? ANYWHERE?

 

Very sick people. Literally!

[aright]

Isn't there an element of hypocrisy in saying we as Individuals don't want or are not allowed to own weapons without good reason, because of the dangers, however allow, without much squawking , our Government to export £12 billion of arms to 27repressive countries who by the Governments own definition are guilty of human rights abuses.  

[Rimmer]

A troll post has been removed

[Basil B]

...motive behind Las Vegas massacre

 

Probable wanted to get his name in the history books

 

Sadly their are probably other sick ******  wanting to do the same... 

[sirmud63]

2 hours ago, Zack61 said:

A bit over the top old mate. Take a chill pill. 

nail on the head mate .

like most of his predecesors , opiod addiction . FACT.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Maybe there is no motive other than he wanted to go out with a bang...he doesn't seem to have been very political, reports say he was a millionaire several times over, no serious health issues have come to light. Some things in life are simply inexplicable.

[boomerangutang]

There are suicidal people everywhere.  At a regional coffee shop, where the shooter and his Fil g.f. used to go - counter clerks said every time the couple came in, he would give her a hard time - taunting, being cruel.   The couple were either breaking up, or already split up.

 

He's an old white guy with lots of money, a love of guns, miserable, and lost his g.f.   He contemplates suicide, but then decides to go out in a big way.   To me it's no big mystery.  The NRA and right-wingers have made it quite easy to get weapons to kill many people in a brief time.   If he had been thinking like the Unabomber (also a v. depressed loner), he would have made and placed a bomb, similar to the guy who bombed the Atlanta Olympics.

[tryasimight]

8 hours ago, aright said:

Isn't there an element of hypocrisy in saying we as Individuals don't want or are not allowed to own weapons without good reason, because of the dangers, however allow, without much squawking , our Government to export £12 billion of arms to 27repressive countries who by the Governments own definition are guilty of human rights abuses.  

Your government...not our government.

This forum is not an exclusively UK forum, as much as some posters assume it is.

Edited October 7, 2017 by tryasimight

[Scott]

Conspiracy post removed.  

 

[balo]

There is no motive , other than he wanted to leave this world being famous .  The US system allowed him to do it. Drugs and weapons is all you need. 

 

Mass shootings will happen again , and again .