A casino regular, quiet but prickly, unleashes a rampage
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Stephen Paddock spent hours in casinos. But he drew little notice until opening fire on an outdoor country music concert Sunday from a high-rise casino, killing 58 and injuring nearly 500 others.
Up to then, he was known for betting big on video poker and staring down fellow gamblers. He carried a cigar so he could aim smoke into the faces of those whose puffing annoyed him.
There is no indication, though, that any particular grievance set him off. But details that have surfaced so far about the one-time IRS agent and son of a notorious bank robber are clues, at least, to his mindset. Paddock made his living playing machines that reward calculus. He was methodical and observant. And those traits may well have made him more deadly.
FILE - This undated photo provided by Eric Paddock shows his brother, Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock. On Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, Stephen Paddock opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival killing dozens and wounding hundreds. Paddock spent hours in casinos. and was known for betting big on video poker and staring down fellow gamblers. There is no indication, though, that any particular grievance set him off. But details that have surfaced so far about the one-time IRS agent and son of a notorious bank robber, are clues, at least, to his mindset. (Courtesy of Eric Paddock via AP)
FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017 file photo, police officers tell people to take cover near the scene of a shooting near the Mandalay Bay resort and casino on the Las Vegas Strip, Stephen Paddock opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival killing dozens and wounding hundreds. Paddock spent hours in casinos. and was known for betting big on video poker and staring down fellow gamblers. There is no indication, though, that any particular grievance set him off. But details that have surfaced so far about the one-time IRS agent and son of a notorious bank robber, are clues, at least, to his mindset. (AP Photo/John Locher)
FILE - In this Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017 file photo an investigator works in the room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino where a gunman opened fire on a music festival, in Las Vegas. On Sunday, Oct. 1, Stephen Paddock opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival killing dozens and wounding hundreds. Paddock spent hours in casinos. and was known for betting big on video poker and staring down fellow gamblers. There is no indication, though, that any particular grievance set him off. But details that have surfaced so far about the one-time IRS agent and son of a notorious bank robber, are clues, at least, to his mindset. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
FILE - In this Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017 file photo, a Las Vegas police officer stands by a blocked off area near the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas. On Sunday, Oct. 1, Stephen Paddock opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival killing dozens and wounding hundreds. Paddock spent hours in casinos. and was known for betting big on video poker and staring down fellow gamblers. There is no indication, though, that any particular grievance set him off. But details that have surfaced so far about the one-time IRS agent and son of a notorious bank robber, are clues, at least, to his mindset. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 file photo, investigators load bodies from the scene of a mass shooting at a music festival near the Mandalay Bay resort and casino on the Las Vegas Strip on in Las Vegas. On Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, Stephen Paddock opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival killing dozens and wounding hundreds. Paddock spent hours in casinos. and was known for betting big on video poker and staring down fellow gamblers. There is no indication, though, that any particular grievance set him off. But details that have surfaced so far about the one-time IRS agent and son of a notorious bank robber, are clues, at least, to his mindset. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)