CLOSE Newly released body camera footage from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department offers a firsthand glimpse of the massacre as it happened. USA TODAY 
 
 Mourners pay tribute at a makeshift memorial on the Las Vegas Strip for the victims of a mass shooting in Las Vegas on Monday. (Photo: Eugene Garcia, EPA-EFE) 
 
 LAS VEGAS — Investigators say that a retired accountant's shooting rampage was meticulously planned and included specially modified weapons and surveillance cameras aimed to spy on any police intruders who would try and stop his murderous deluge. 
 
 At a late-night press conference Tuesday, authorities said Stephen Paddock made his attack even more deadly by adding more lethal components to his weapons. He had devices attached to 12 semiautomatic rifles that allowed them to mimic fully automatic gunfire. 
 
 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Special Agent in Charge Jill Schneider said Paddock had nearly 50 guns — a combination of rifles, shotguns and pistols — in three locations. 
 
 The gun attachment that mimics automatic gunfire is a little-known device called a “bump stock” that is not widely sold. The stocks have been around for less than a decade, and Schneider said officials determined they were legal. 
 
 Paddock, who killed 58 people and eventually himself, also injured 527 others in what is the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. 
 
 He also used surveillance cameras to monitor police approaches to his room at the Mandalay Bay high-rise — including a camera he positioned in the peephole of the door. 
 
 “I anticipate he was looking for anybody coming to take him into custody,” Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said. 
 
 During the Sunday night rampage, a hotel security guard who approached the room was shot through the door and wounded in the leg. 
 
 “The fact that he had the type of weaponry and amount of weaponry in that room, it was preplanned extensively,” the sheriff said, “and I’m pretty sure he evaluated everything that he did and his actions, which is troublesome.” 
 
 While Paddock's motive remains unclear, authorities were putting together a more complete picture of his work history and his past. The killer worked as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, an IRS agent and in an auditing department over a 10-year period. 
 
 A spokeswoman for the Office of Personnel Management told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Stephen Paddock’s employment included about two years as a mail carrier from 1976 to 1978. 
 
 After that, he worked as an agent for the Internal Revenue Service for six years until 1984. And then he worked a defense auditing job for about 18 months. 
 
 He graduated from college in 1977 from Cal State Northridge and also worked for a defense contractor in the late 1980s. 
 
 President Trump, as he left Washington for a trip to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico, briefly referenced Paddock, whose carnage Sunday night left 59 people dead and more than 500 injured. 
 
 "He was a sick man, a demented man with a lot of problems, I guess, and we are looking into him very, very seriously," Trump said. "We are dealing with a very, very sick individual." 
 
 The president also said the administration would be "talking about gun laws as time goes by," and he lauded the efforts of Las Vegas law enforcement. 
 
 "How quickly the police department was able to get in (to Paddock's hotel room) was very much a miracle," he said. "They've done an amazing job." 
 
 Read more: 
 
 Why motive matters 
 
 Gun dealer: 'My gut fell out' 
 
 Country music star Jason Aldean was performing when Paddock opened fire from the window of his 32nd-floor hotel room overlooking the Route 91 Harvest music festival. Aldean, who was not injured, tweeted a statement Tuesday saying he has been overwhelmed with emotion since the attack. 
 
 "Something has changed in this country and in this world lately that is scary to see," Aldean wrote. But he also added that it is "time to come together and stop the hate." 
 
 Stories of heroism continued to emerge. One minute Marine veteran Taylor Winston was dancing the two-step at the concert, the next he was commandeering a pickup and shuttling the wounded to hospitals before ambulances arrived. Dawn-Marie Gray, a concertgoer who happened to have seven years experience as a paramedic, found herself providing CPR and tying tourniquets. 
 
 When Nick Jones, 30, of Vancouver, Wash., heard about the shooting, he drove 20 hours to help. He offered to donate blood, but the need had been met. He offered to volunteer at hospitals, but they had plenty of help. Even the family assistance center was overwhelmed with volunteers. 
 
 “I was worried that no one would do anything,” Jones said Tuesday. “I was happy to be proven wrong.” 
 
 Assistant Sheriff Todd Fasulo pleaded for patience during the investigation, saying authorities were "hunting down" every clue to learn more about Paddock. 
 
 Several minutes after the carnage began, officers who blasted into the room found Paddock's body. His brother Eric, who lives in Florida, says his multimillionaire brother was a big spender at casinos and often received free meals and rooms there. Eric Paddock also said he believed his brother owned a couple guns. 
 
 Police found 23 guns, including semiautomatic rifles, in Paddock's room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. They found 19 more at his home in Mesquite, Nev., 80 miles northeast of here. And in yet another home owned by Paddock in Reno, authorities found five handguns, two shotguns, and a plethora of ammunition. 
 
 CLOSE Las Vegas Metro Police have released footage from the body cameras worn by officers responding to the scene of the shooting Oct. 2, 2017. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department 
 
 A federal law enforcement official, who was briefed on the matter but not authorized to comment publicly, said police also found two tripods positioned at the hotel windows in what appeared to be a fully equipped sniper’s nest. 
 
 While the investigation intensified, authorities touted the city’s resilience in the aftermath of the tragedy. Fully stocked blood banks were soon turning away would-be donors. A GoFundMe page collected $3.3 million from almost 50,000 donors in little more than 24 hours. Overall, donations for the victims have exceeded $3.7 million, Commissioner Stephen F. Sisolak said Tuesday afternoon. 
 
 Pieces of normalcy slowly returned to the iconic Strip. Club promoters hawked 2-for-1 deals, tourists took selfies and police cracked down would-be criminals. 
 
 “Do you know how disrespectful it is to come out here and deal drugs the day after 50 people died one block away?’’ a bike cop snapped at a man in handcuffs Monday night. “Can’t you take one day off?’’ 
 
 Derek Koerner, who identified himself as a licensed club promoter, said he was encouraged by the sizable crowds — and particularly grateful for the SUV full of men interested in his 2-for-1 deals on strip clubs. A $40 cover for a two-drink minimum gets the buyer into the second strip club for free. 
 
 “There’s more people out here than I thought there’d be,’’ said Koerner, 48. “People seem to be upbeat and have a good energy. People seem to be moving on with their lives.’’ 
 
 But less than a mile away, the mood was noticeably different. Dozens of people, some arriving with candles and flowers, returned to the scene of the horrific crime, marked by yellow police tape. 
 
 Herman Gold and his ex-wife, Sara, stood near the concert grounds and explained how they escaped the hail of bullets and why they came back. 
 
 “I just want closure,’’ Herman Gold said. “Why? What’s the reason that on that particular night, one individual would sacrifice everyone else for his insanity?’’ 
 
 Joe Larsen, standing at the same corner and wearing a VIP wristband from the Aldean concert, expressed gratitude. 
 
 Larsen, 49, who flew in from New Jersey for the concert, said that he watched the Twin Towers fall in 2001, lost his wife to cancer in 2015 and, on Sunday night, feared he was about to leave his son and daughter without a parent. 
 
 He said he saw a young woman die from a bullet to the head before he called his father during the bedlam. 
 
 “I told him, ‘I don’t know if going to make it. Tell my kids to live a good life’ ” Larsen recalled. 
 
 As he and others shared their stories and wiped away tears, police officers closely monitored pedestrians, especially the wayward ones. 
 
 “Sir, get out of the street,’’ one officer barked. “It’s the last time I’m telling you.’’ 
 
 Read more: 
 
 Shooter may have used trigger crank 
 
 Machine guns have long been a draw in Las Vegas 
 
 Bacon reported from McLean, Va. Contributing: Kevin Johnson and Ashley May, USA TODAY; Brett Kelman, The Desert Sun; Megan Cassidy, The Arizona Republic; Mike Benner, KGW-TV, Portland, Ore. 
 
 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Sheriff's Office: Las Vegas shooter had child porn on computer | 0:41 A new discovery in the investigation into Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock. Veuer's Maria Mercedes Galuppo (@mariamgaluppo) has the story. Buzz60 1 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Vegas Police: Paddock Researched His Attack | 1:26 Investigators have still not discovered what motivated Stephen Paddock to embark on the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history, but determined that he researched SWAT tactics ahead of the massacre and investigated other possible targets. (Jan. 19) AP 2 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Vegas shooting victim files lawsuit | 3:02 Lawyers representing a woman shot at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas have filed a lawsuit based on what they say is a failure to protect people attending the concert. (Oct. 11) AP 3 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Golden Knights already creating special bond with Vegas | 2:12 SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports NHL reporter Kevin Allen believes Las Vegas and its new hockey team have already formed a special bond and culture that could make it a flagship franchise. USA TODAY Sports 4 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Jason Aldean returns to Vegas | 0:48 Country music star Jason Aldean returned to Las Vegas a week after a deadly mass shooting to visit with some of the victims. USA TODAY 5 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Police are 'frustrated' by the Las Vegas shooter's mystery motive | 1:26 Authorities still haven't figured out exactly what sparked the Las Vegas shooting, which left 58 people dead and hundreds more injured. Video provided by Newsy Newslook 6 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Vegas victim comforts mother of slain co-worker | 2:00 Erick Silva was helping concert goers escape when he was shot and killed. A co-worker who witnessed it moved Silva’s body away from a stampeding crowd. After being shot himself, he found Silva’s mother in order to explain her son’s final moments. (Oct. 8) AP 7 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Las Vegas Strip goes dark to honor victims | 0:29 It's been a week since the mass shooting in Las Vegas and as a way to honor the victims, the famous Strip went dark. Watch as lights that normally burn bright 24/7 flicker and go dark. USA TODAY 8 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Thousands of items recovered after Vegas attack | 1:16 Nevada officials said Sunday that seven truckloads of personal belongings had been collected from the scene of the mass shooting in Las Vegas. Among the items were purses, cell phones and clothing they were hoping to return to concert-goers. (Oct. 8) AP 9 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Dogs bring comfort to Las Vegas community | 1:11 K9 Comfort Dogs has sent therapy dogs to help bring healing to the people in Las Vegas. Buzz60 10 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD He drove from Illinois to Vegas to drop off 58 crosses | 1:06 In the wake of Las Vegas tragedy, Greg Zanis expressed his sympathy the best way he knows how: by making 58 wooden crosses for each of the victims. Humankind 11 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Pence Speaks of Hope at Vegas Prayer Service | 1:47 Vice President Mike Pence says in the depths of horror, Americans have found hope in those who risked their lives after the Las Vegas shooting. He made the remarks at a Las Vegas prayer service. (Oct. 7) AP 12 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD He honors the life of his friend with kindness to strangers | 0:57 Lloyd was inspired to perform random acts of kindness after learning his childhood friend was killed in the mass shooting in Las Vegas. Humankind 13 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Doves Released in Las Vegas to Mark Tragedy | 0:24 Following a ceremony in Las Vegas where U.S. Vice President Mike Pence joined residents in marking last weekend's massacre at a country music concert, doves were released outside City Hall. (Oct. 7) AP 14 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Police: No motive determined in Vegas shooting | 1:57 Las Vegas Police say they still do not have determined a motive for gunman Stephen Paddock, who killed 58 fans gathered at an outdoor concert and injuring 500 more before killing himself on Sunday evening at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas. (Oct. 6) AP 15 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD First responders describe Vegas massacre chaos | 2:07 First responders detailed Thursday the chaos that followed the mass shooting in Las Vegas Sunday night. Clark County Fire Chief Greg Cassell credits emergency response crews with being on scene within five seconds of the attack. (Oct. 5) AP 16 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Coroner says all Vegas victims now identified | 2:14 Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said all 58 victims in the shooting at a Las Vegas concert have been identified and families notified. Fudenberg declined to answer questions about how the victims died. (Oct. 5) AP 17 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Kellyanne Conway calls for 'thoughtful conversation' after Las Vegas | 0:55 Counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway is calling for “thoughtful conversation,” following the mass shooting in Las Vegas that has left at least 59 people dead. Buzz60 18 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Stephen Paddock's girlfriend hoped for 'quiet future' with him | 2:40 Speaking through her lawyer, Marilou Danley said she remembered Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock as a "kind, caring quiet man." USA TODAY 19 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Celine Dion donates Vegas show proceeds to victims | 1:39 The megastar opened her show in Las Vegas with an emotional tribute to the victims of the Route 91 Festival shooting. USA TODAY 20 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Report: Police searching for mystery woman seen with Las Vegas shooter | 0:53 A mystery woman seen with the Las Vegas shooter before the attack may provide some answers for the tragedy. Buzz60 21 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Richie: 'We cannot sweep Vegas under the rug' | 0:45 "American Idol" hosts Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan respond to Sunday's mass shooting in Las Vegas. (Oct. 5) AP 22 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Police release timeline of deadly Las Vegas shooting | 2:58 Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department releases a timeline of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. USA TODAY 23 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Lawyer: Girlfriend didn't know of attack plans | 2:46 Lawyer: Girlfriend Didn't Know of Attack Plans AP 24 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Texas shop sold guns to Vegas shooter | 1:37 The owner of a Dallas-area gun shop says hs sold guns on several occasions to Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock in 2010 and 2011. He says Paddock's behavior didn't raise any red flags. (Oct. 4) AP 25 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Survivor stories: Shooting victims share fight to live | 1:22 From their hospital beds, survivors of the Las Vegas mass shooting describe being shot, heroes, and fighting to survive. USA TODAY 26 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Trump: We are with Vegas '100%' | 3:53 President Donald Trump praises doctors, others at Vegas hospital where victims treated, saying it makes him 'proud to be an American.' (Oct. 4) AP 27 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD #VegasStrong: Kindness abounds after Las Vegas shooting | 1:31 Las Vegas was rattled by the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, but locals are showing love and kindness will always win. USA TODAY 28 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Vegas survivor describes husband's final moments | 0:53 Survivor of the mass shooting at Las Vegas, Heather Melton, of Tennessee, is crediting her husband for her survival. Her 29-year-old husband, Sonny, ultimately died of his injuries after shielding his wife from the barrage of bullets. (Oct. 4) AP 29 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Trump: 'America is truly a nation in mourning' | 3:54 President Donald Trump somberly thanked first responders who rushed to help after the mass shooting in Las Vegas, telling them Wednesday that 'America is truly a nation in mourning.' (Oct. 4) AP 30 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD High-rise shooting a security nightmare | 1:30 A Las Vegas shooter’s perch in a 32nd-floor hotel room overlooking 22,000 people jammed into a country music festival below is just the kind of nightmare scenario police dread in places where big crowds and high-rises mix. (Oct. 4) AP 31 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Body-camera footage of shooting in Las Vegas | 3:00 Las Vegas Metro Police have released footage from the body cameras worn by officers responding to the scene of the shooting Oct. 2, 2017. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department 32 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Sheriff: Shooter had cameras monitoring area around him | 0:23 Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said the alleged Las Vegas gunman had cameras, and he was likely monitoring his surroundings. Lombardo said, "I anticipate he was looking for anybody coming to take him into custody." USA TODAY 33 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Friend of slain colleague donates blood in Vegas | 1:26 A retired police sergeant from California says he drove to Las Vegas to help as soon as he found out one of his former colleagues, Rachael Parker, had been killed in the Mandalay Bay Resort shooting on Sunday. He called Parker a "great person." (Oct. 3) AP 34 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Report: Starbucks employees recall Las Vegas shooter's bad temper | 0:51 Stephen Paddock frequented a Starbucks in Mesquite, Nevada, where employees recall seeing him publicly berate his girlfriend, Marilou Danley. Buzz60 35 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Comics get serious about Las Vegas shooting and gun violence in Best of Late Night | 4:40 The nation mourns yet again after a mass shooting. The comics question why more hasn't been done to stop such tragedies. USA TODAY Opinion_Eileen Rivers 36 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Video shows Vegas gunman's room in 2016 | 2:05 Amateur video footage has emerged showing Stephen Paddock's room at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas where he fired on concert-goers Sunday evening, killing 59 people. It was recorded by a hotel visitor who stayed in the room in 2016. (Oct. 3) AP 37 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Country musician flips on gun control stance after Las Vegas shooting | 1:12 A country musician who barely escaped the horror of Las Vegas is changing his stance on gun control. Nathan Rousseau Smith (@FantasticMrNate) reports. Buzz60 38 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD What we know now about Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock | 2:05 We're learning more about Stephen Paddock, the "lone wolf" in the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history. USA TODAY 39 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Gunman had 23 firearms at hotel, 19 more at home | 1:01 Police say the gunman in the Las Vegas Strip shooting had 23 firearms in his hotel room and an additional 19 at one of his two homes. Police say they're searching for a motive for the shooting. (Oct. 3) AP 40 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD The victims of the Las Vegas shooting | 1:31 Victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting that killed at least 59 people are beginning to be identified. Video provided by Newsy Newslook 41 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Tears and grief at UNLV vigil | 1:37 University of Nevada Las Vegas students attended a candlelight vigil on Monday night, less than 24 hours after a gunman killed dozens and wounded hundreds at a country music festival. (Oct. 3) AP 42 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Dramatic footage shows terror as shooting begins | 1:10 More dramatic cell phone video has emerged of the terrifying moment a gunman fired a hail of bullets on an outdoor country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip, killing at least 58 people and injuring more than 500. (Oct 2.) AP 43 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD How the Las Vegas shooting unfolded | 2:17 A motion graphic explaining how the events unfolded when Stephen Paddock opened fire from his hotel room on concert goers at the Route 91 Harvest music festival near the Mandalay Bay resort and casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Ramon Padilla, Janet Loehrke George Petras, Jim Sergent USA TODAY 44 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Las Vegas survivors say shooting 'sounded like fireworks' | 1:38 After surviving the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, witnesses describe how a country music festival in Las Vegas turned into "mass hysteria." USA TODAY 45 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Widow on Las Vegas shooting: 'He saved my life' | 0:49 A Tennessee man died while shielding his wife from bullets during the mass shooting in Las Vegas. USA TODAY 46 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Alleged Las Vegas shooter's brother is stunned | 0:35 The brother of the suspected Las Vegas shooter, Stephen Paddock, says he's in total disbelief. Eric Paddock says he last talked to his brother months ago via text and saw no warning signs that he would commit mass violence. USA TODAY 47 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Astronaut Mark Kelly: We need gun control, not prayers | 0:36 Mark Kelly and his wife, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, responded to the mass shooting in Las Vegas. They called for "more than prayers" from President Trump. USA TODAY 48 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Video shows first moment of Las Vegas shooting | 2:05 A concertgoer captured the moment a gunman opened fire on an outdoor music festival on the Las Vegas Strip, killing scores of people and wounding hundreds of others. Country music star Jason Aldean was performing when the gunfire began. AP 49 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Couple describes witnessing Las Vegas shooting | 1:55 A California couple describe the harrowing minutes they witnessed as a shooter opened fire during a Las Vegas concert, killing over 50 people and wounding at least another 400. (Oct. 2) AP 50 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Trump calls Vegas shooting ‘act of pure evil’ | 1:02 President Trump offered prayers and condolences in the wake of the Las Vegas mass shooting. He announced he will travel to Las Vegas on Wednesday. USA TODAY 51 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Country musicians respond to the shooting in Las Vegas | 0:55 Country musicians took to social media to respond to the shooting in Las Vegas video by Michael Schwab/Tennessean 52 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Who was Las Vegas shooting suspect Stephen Paddock? | 1:31 Investigators believe Stephen Paddock checked into the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino days before the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Here's what we know about the suspected gunman. USA TODAY 53 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Scores killed in Las Vegas music festival shooting | 0:36 Las Vegas Metropolitan Police say one of their own was among the scores of concertgoers killed when "lone wolf" gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on crowds at the Route 91 Harvest music festival. USA TODAY 54 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Las Vegas shooting: Gunshots sounded like fireworks | 1:09 Raw video shows the confusion as shots rang out during Jason Aldean's performance at the Route 91 Harvest music festival near Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. USA TODAY 55 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Jason Aldean runs off Las Vegas stage as shots rain down | 1:12 Video shows Jason Aldean realizing there was a barrage of bullets being fired during his concert in Las Vegas. Katherine Van Buren, who was recording the Facebook Live, said strangers took her into their hotel room after they escaped the shooting. USA TODAY 56 of 57 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING, AT LEAST 50 DEAD Festivalgoers frantically crouch for cover during Las Vegas shooting | 0:59 Video shows people running and ducking as shots rang out at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas. USA TODAY 57 of 57 Last VideoNext Video Sheriff's Office: Las Vegas shooter had child porn on computer 
 
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 LAS VEGAS—The gunman who murdered at least 59 people at a country-music concert on Sunday might have originally targeted another Las Vegas music festival held the previous weekend, according to a senior law enforcement source. 
 
 Stephen Paddock rented multiple condos overlooking the annual Life Is Beautiful Festival, which this year was headlined by Lorde and Chance the Rapper, said the source, who is not directly involved in the investigation but has been briefed on its progress. 
 
 In an effort to confirm the report, The Daily Beast visited the Ogden, a 21-story luxury condominium tower with a line of sight to the concert-grounds. 
 
 “We're not in a position to confirm or deny anything about Mr. Paddock's dealings. I suggest you contact Metro [police]. As you know this is an on going investigation,” said Melissa Warren, public affairs officer for Fais Foley Warren, owner of the Ogden. 
 
 The source suggested that Paddock may have lost his nerve or simply changed his plans and checked into the Mandalay Bay Hotel on September 28. He then took a suite overlooking the Route 91 Harvest Festival and opened fire on an estimated 20,000 concertgoers below. Law enforcement recovered 23 weapons from the suite, including several rifles capable of automatic fire. Paddock concealed the arsenal in 10 suitcases, Joseph Lombardo, the sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told reporters. 
 
 Law enforcement discovered at least 19 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and an explosive at his home in Mesquite, Nevada. The bomb-making chemical ammonium nitrate was also found in his car, police said. 

 Investigators trying to determine what sparked the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history have found the massacre to be the work of a sophisticated planner with the means and desire to inflict unprecedented carnage. 
 
 But on the second full day after Stephen Paddock smashed out the windows of a high-floor suite on the Las Vegas Strip and opened fire on a crowd of unsuspecting concertgoers, authorities still were trying to understand what drove him to such evil. 
 
 Several new details emerged Tuesday about Paddock — a 64-year-old retired accountant — and how he worked methodically to thwart law enforcement as he killed scores of people and injured hundreds more. 
 
 [ Two strangers bond over country music and beer. Then the gunshots started. ] 
 
 As he fired round after round during an 11-minute stretch from a suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Paddock used video cameras to keep an eye out for police storming his hotel room, according to Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo. 
 
 Paddock hid one camera in the peephole of his suite and two more in the hall, at least one of them disguised on a service cart, authorities said. At one point, he shot numerous rounds through the door, wounding a security guard. Paddock eventually put a gun in his own mouth and pulled the trigger as SWAT officers closed in. They found him with blood pooling behind his head and around the empty shell casings that littered the carpet, a handgun near his body. 
 
 “It was preplanned, extensively, and I’m pretty sure that he evaluated everything that he did in his actions, which is troublesome,�? Lombardo said. 
 
 The sheriff said investigators were “making progress�? on determining a motive, but complete answers remained elusive. There were precious few clues in Paddock’s background. 
 
 
 
 An investigator works in the room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Tuesday, in Las Vegas. A gunman opened fire from the room, killing at least 58 people and injuring hundreds. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) 
 
 Neighbors in several states where Paddock owned homes in retirement communities describe him as surly, unfriendly and standoffish. Paddock was the son of a bank robber who was once on the FBI’s most-wanted list and who authorities described at the time as a “psychopath,�? but Paddock’s brother said their father was not involved in their lives when they were children. 
 
 Relatives say the roots of Paddock’s loner lifestyle might have been planted on July 28, 1960. On that day, when Paddock was 7, a neighbor from across the street took him swimming. The neighbor told a local newspaper at the time that she knew authorities were coming for his father, and she wanted to spare the young boy from the trauma of seeing his father taken away. From that point on, Paddock’s family was never the same. 
 
 Until carrying out the massacre Sunday night, Paddock had no criminal history himself. Despite repeated claims by the Islamic State to the contrary, he also had no ties to international terror groups, authorities said. He had done some government work during his career, as a letter carrier for the Postal Service, an agent for the Internal Revenue Service and an auditor for the federal government’s Defense Contract Audit Agency in the late 1970s and 1980s. He was divorced twice and recently had been dating a woman from the Philippines who has Australian citizenship. He was known to gamble routinely and extensively. 
 
 Some public officials seemed to suggest Paddock’s mind was troubled, though there were no immediate indications that he had been diagnosed with a mental illness or was anything other than fully aware of what he was doing. 
 
 “A normal person would not cause this type of harm to innocent people,�? said Rep. Ruben Kihuen (D-Nev.). “Clearly, there was something wrong with this man.�? 
 
 People close to the investigation also said that in the weeks before the attack, Paddock transferred a large amount of money — close to $100,000 — to someone in the Philippines, possibly his girlfriend. The significance of that development was not immediately clear, though investigators said they were interested in probing Paddock’s finances and his avid interest in high-stakes gambling. 
 
 The girlfriend, Marilou Danley, returned to the United States from the Philippines Tuesday night and was met at Los Angeles International Airport by FBI agents, according to wire reports. Investigators considered her a “person of interest,�? Lombardo said. Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) said that police are eager to talk to her, as Paddock “doesn’t meet any profiles�? and the “best lead is through this girlfriend.�? 
 
 “They don’t know a lot about who the girlfriend is and why she left the country a week prior to the shooting,�? said Heller, who has been briefed by authorities. “She is someone they need to have this discussion with to better understand the shooting and what his thought process was.�? 
 
 
 
 Douglas and Sylvia Vick from Texas pray at a makeshift memorial on the Las Vegas Strip on Tuesday. (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images) 
 
 At his home in Orlando, Eric Paddock, Stephen Paddock’s brother, said he doubts Danley had any prior knowledge of the incident and speculated that Stephen might have been trying to quietly ensure her financial stability. Stephen Paddock loved and doted on his girlfriend, whom he had met when she was a hostess at a casino, Eric Paddock said. The couple often gambled side by side. 
 
 “He manipulated her to be as far away from here and safe when he committed this,�? Eric Paddock said. “The people he loved he took care of, and as he was descending into hell he took care of her.�? 
 
 The shooting — which left 59 people dead and injured more than 500 others — reignited the debate on Capitol Hill and across the country about whether lawmakers should impose new restrictions on firearms. Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg on Tuesday evening clarified that Paddock was among the 59 slain in the incident; previously, authorities had said he wasn’t. 
 
 Undersheriff Kevin C. McMahill, speaking after Fudenberg, warned that the number of dead and injured could fluctuate as the investigation progresses. 
 
 “The answer that the coroner provided you is the most recent, relevant number that we have,�? McMahill said. 
 
 
 
 Caution tape lines the doors of the gunman’s suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel. (Bild Exclusive/Polaris.) 
 
 Several Democrats used the massacre to push for new restrictions, and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) asserted Tuesday that Republican leaders have no plans to advance a bill, which passed a House committee last month, that would make it easier to buy gun silencers. 
 
 Leaving the White House to visit hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico on Tuesday morning, President Trump said that “we’ll be talking about gun laws as time goes by.�? 
 
 Paddock brought 23 guns to his Mandalay Bay suite, which overlooked the concert grounds on the southern end of the Strip. Included in that cache was an AR-15-type rifle with a high-capacity magazine and 12 “bump stocks,�? a modification that would allow a gun to fire as if it were an automatic weapon. He also brought another AR-15-type rifle with a magnification scope commonly used for hunting and a bipod stand to help steady it, according to law enforcement officials and experts who reviewed images of the weapons posted online. 
 
 “For this individual to take it upon himself to create this chaos and harm is unspeakable,�? Lombardo said. 
 
 [ The lives lost in the Las Vegas massacre ] 
 
 The guns appeared to be but a piece of the arsenal Paddock had acquired during a period of years, at least some of it legally obtained from major retailers such as Cabela’s, national retailer of guns and outdoor gear, and Guns & Guitars, a store in Mesquite, Nev., according to people familiar with the case. ATF Special Agent in Charge Jill A. Snyder said Tuesday Paddock had purchased shotguns, handguns and rifles in Nevada, Utah, California and Texas. 
 
 At Paddock’s home in Mesquite, Nev., investigators recovered 19 more guns and an explosive, and in his car, they found ammonium nitrate, a chemical that can be used in bomb making. At another property in Reno, Nev., investigators recovered five more handguns, two shotguns and a “plethora�? of ammunition, Lombardo said Tuesday. 
 
 Paddock probably secreted the weapons to his Mandalay Bay suite using more than 10 suitcases he brought with him. Lombardo said hotel housekeeping had been there since Paddock checked in on Sept. 28 and spotted nothing nefarious. 
 
 Lombardo said investigators had scoured Paddock’s suite, his car and the homes in Nevada, and they were examining surveillance and body camera video evidence and other electronic items they had seized in their searches. Separately, Lombardo said the department had opened an investigation into the unauthorized release of images that show the crime scene. Another sheriff’s official confirmed the authenticity of those images. 
 
 Police also continued documenting the crime scene and performing the grim task of identifying those slain, some of whom died blocks away from the concert as they tried to flee or seek help. As of late Tuesday afternoon, authorities had tentatively identified all of the victims. 
 
 [ How the shooting unfolded ] 
 
 Since the shooting, horrific stories have emerged of lives cut short, some taking bullets as they sought to protect their loved ones. 
 
 Bobby and Jenny Parks, a married couple from California who had been high school sweethearts, were swaying to a love song when a bullet struck her. He held her as she died. 
 
 After Cameron Robinson, a 27-year-old from Utah, was shot in the neck, his boyfriend, Robert Eardley, carried him to a vehicle. Robinson died before they made it to a hospital. 
 
 Two people who met at the festival — Kody Robertson and Michelle Vo — were watching the final act together when a bullet struck her chest. Robertson threw his body over hers to protect her. Later, they were separated; he tracked her down to a hospital and was told late Monday morning that she was dead. 
 
 Paddock’s weaponry would have allowed him to fire both rapidly and precisely at the crowd that was several hundred yards away and below him. The shots — fired from two windows of Mandalay Bay’s golden facade, which Paddock had smashed out — sent thousands of people scrambling for safety under Vegas’s neon glow. Police on Tuesday showed body camera footage of officers scrambling to determine where the shots came from as they yelled for people to leave the area. 
 
 “They’re shooting right at us, guys,�? an officer can be heard saying. “Stay down! Stay down!�? 
 
 Hospitals across the region continued to treat patients from the scene, many of them seriously injured. Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center says as of Tuesday night, 59 patients remain in the hospital and 31 of them are still in critical condition. University Medical Center said it had 64 patients from the attack, 12 of them critical. 
 
 
 
 Roads inside the Mandalay Bay Resort are closed for investigation on Tuesday in Las Vegas. (The Washington Post) 
 
 Lynh Bui and Tim Craig in Las Vegas; Barbara Liston in Orlando; Ally Gravina in Reno, Nev.; William Dauber in Los Angeles; and Alex Horton, Wesley Lowery, Julie Tate, Jessica Contrera, Sandhya Somashekar, Aaron C. Davis, William Wan and Sari Horwitz in Washington contributed to this report. 

 A Henderson doctor wrote a prescription for the drug diazepam for Stephen Paddock, 64 of Mesquite and he filled it the same day in Reno, according to a state Prescription Monitoring Program record obtained by the Review-Journal. 
 
 Stephen Paddock, who killed at least 58 people and wounded hundreds more in Las Vegas on Sunday with high-powered rifles, was prescribed an anti-anxiety drug in June that can lead to aggressive behavior. 
 
 Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock in an undated photo. On Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, Paddock opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest festival, killing 58 and wounding hundreds. (Eric Paddock via AP) 
 
 Stephen Paddock (courtesy) 
 
 Stephen Paddock, who killed at least 58 people and wounded hundreds more in Las Vegas on Sunday with high-powered rifles, was prescribed an anti-anxiety drug in June that can lead to aggressive behavior, the Las Vegas Review-Journal has learned. 
 
 Records from the Nevada Prescription Monitoring Program obtained Tuesday show Paddock was prescribed 50 10-milligram diazepam tablets by Henderson physician Dr. Steven Winkler on June 21. 
 
 A woman who answered the phone at Winkler’s office would not make him available to answer questions and would neither confirm nor deny that Paddock was ever a patient. 
 
 Paddock purchased the drug — its brand name is Valium — without insurance at a Walgreens store in Reno on the same day it was prescribed. He was supposed to take one pill a day. 
 
 Diazepam is a sedative-hypnotic drug in the class of drugs known as benzodiazepines, which studies have shown can trigger aggressive behavior. Chronic use or abuse of sedatives such as diazepam can also trigger psychotic experiences, according to drugabuse.com. 
 
 ‘They can become aggressive’ 
 
 “If somebody has an underlying aggression problem and you sedate them with that drug, they can become aggressive,” said Dr. Mel Pohl, chief medical officer of the Las Vegas Recovery Center. “It can disinhibit an underlying emotional state. … It is much like what happens when you give alcohol to some people … they become aggressive instead of going to sleep.” 
 
 Pohl, who spoke to the Review-Journal from the Netherlands, said the effects of the drug also can be magnified by alcohol. 
 
 A 2015 study published in World Psychiatry of 960 Finnish adults and teens convicted of homicide showed that their odds of killing were 45 percent higher during time periods when they were on benzodiazepines. 
 
 A year earlier, the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry published a study titled, “Benzodiazepine Use and Aggressive Behavior.” The authors wrote: “It appears that benzodiazepine use is moderately associated with subsequent aggressive behavior.” 
 
 Dr. Michael First, a clinical psychiatry professor at Columbia University and expert on benzodiazepines, said the Finnish study speaks for itself. But he also told the Review-Journal on Tuesday that he believes the drugs would be more likely to fuel impulsive aggression than premeditated behavior. 
 
 “What this man in Las Vegas did was very planned,” he noted, referring to reports that Paddock sneaked an arsenal of weapons into the Mandalay Bay and placed cameras inside and outside his room before launching his attack. 
 
 Why was it prescribed? 
 
 First said it would be important to discover why Paddock was prescribed the drug. 
 
 “That may have more to do with why he did what he did,” First said. 
 
 The Nevada state monitoring report also noted that Winkler prescribed 50 10-milligram tablets of diazepam to Paddock in 2016. He also filled that prescription the day it was written, this time at Evergreen Drugs in Henderson. It was for two tablets a day. 
 
 Questions have long swirled around whether psychiatric drugs are linked to mass school shootings in the United States, though researchers have yet to find a definitive connections, despite several studies. 
 
 Critics of unscientific linkage in the news media and on social media between psychiatric drugs and violence say it stigmatizes those who benefit from their use. That, in turn, can make people quit using medications that can actually be lifesavers, they say. 
 
 On Monday, actress Kirstie Alley, best known for her role in the TV sitcom “Cheers,” stirred controversy by tweeting that guns and psychiatric drugs are the common denominators in recent mass shootings in the United States. She cited no evidence that Paddock has used the drugs. 

 ‘ Time to get to work’: Off-duty firefighters acted quickly to stem casualties 
 
 When he saw people driving away in a hurry after bullets rained on a country music concert, Benjamin Kole gave an order: “Not one (vehicle) leaves without a patient, a victim.” 
 
 Although his wife begged him not to stay — “probably one the hardest decisions” he’s ever made — Jesse Gomez told her to leave and take an injured concertgoer to the hospital. 
 
 And even after he carried his wounded brother to safety, Anthony Robone returned to the killing field. 
 
 The three men are local firefighters but on Sunday were mere civilians enjoying a music festival — not worried about gunshots and not carrying any critical gear, such as radios. 
 
 But when the pops began, and continued for a harrowing 11 minutes, the first responders — along with civilians with no formal training — treated the wounded, triaged patients, set up impromptu staging areas and drove “bus loads” of injured to area hospitals. 
 
 Kole, Gomez and Robone were three of dozens of off-duty firefighters at the concert; 12 others were shot, two of them while they provided CPR, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters union. 
 
 On Tuesday, less than 48 hours after the worst mass shooting in U.S. modern history, the firefighters gathered at the Las Vegas Fire Fighters Union Hall to recount the difficult decisions — which included apologizing to the gravely wounded because “there was nothing we could do" and move on to the next victim, Kole said. 
 
 Like the accounts given by so many, they’d initially confused the cracks as “celebratory” fireworks during a Jason Aldean performance. 
 
 Kole was with a friend who is a corrections officer and when a second of about a dozen volleys initiated, “we knew it was something else.” 
 
 His friend knocked him to the ground and, seconds later, Kole realized that his daughter, Rachel Kole, who is employed by an ambulance company, was there working the concert. 
 
 The gunfire continued for several minutes, “but I never heard another gunshot” and he ran toward her location. Once they linked up and embraced each other, it was “time to get to work,” and they both continued to care for patients. 
 
 And regular citizens stuck around, listening to directions and staying calm and doing what they could, Kole said. 
 
 Jesse Gomez attended the concert with his family. The shots broke out and he realized that the sounds weren’t fireworks when the performers rushed off stage, “and they kept happening.” 
 
 As they ran, Gomez saw a woman bleeding from her head and he told his family to keep going, while he and others helped her out. 
 
 He called his wife to tell her he was going to stay behind. When Gomez met her in the parking lot, “she begged me not to go (back).” 
 
 But he did, and “he could have swore” the bullet impacts were getting closer, as if there was a gun battle a few feet away. 
 
 And he and another man “went back to work,” he said. “It was incredible how many people stayed to help.” 
 
 Civilians moved patients with tarps, trash cans, fences and “anything to carry people out,” Gomez said. 
 
 “It was very hard to walk around with someone with their loved one deceased and try to tell them that they have to move, that they can’t stay here, that they were in the line of fire,” Gomez said. 
 
 When the first rounds went off, Robone told his girlfriend that things were fine, but as soon as he determined “maybe this is gunshots,” he turned around to see that his brother was struck and that he was spitting blood. 
 
 His friend took his girlfriend to safety, and he and another friend carried his brother toward apparent medic tents. “The rounds seemed like they’d never stop,” he said. 
 
 After tending to his brother's wounds with make-shift bandages, Robone’s training “kicked in,” he said. 
 
 Robone said he saw many dead. “Unfortunately we couldn’t help at that time.” 
 
 But he also saw a community with civilians applying pressure to wounds and taking belts off, creating tourniquets, and the selflessness from patients with survivable injuries. “I was shot in the arm, I can wait … hey that person is shot in the head or that person is shot in the neck, let them go (to the hospital),” Robone said they told first responders. 

 People pause at a memorial set up for victims of a mass shooting in Las Vegas, on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. A gunman opened fire on an outdoor music concert on Sunday. It was the deadliest mass shooting... (Associated Press) 
 
 People pause at a memorial set up for victims of a mass shooting in Las Vegas, on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. A gunman opened fire on an outdoor music concert on Sunday. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, with dozens of people killed and hundreds injured, some by gunfire, some during... (Associated Press) 
 
 LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on the mass shooting in Las Vegas (all times local): 
 
 1:45 a.m. 
 
 The Australia-based sisters of Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock's girlfriend say they believe Paddock sent her away so she wouldn't interfere with his plans to go on a shooting rampage. 
 
 Marilou Danley's sisters were interviewed by Australia's Channel 7 TV network with their faces obscured and their names withheld. They said they were surprised to learn Danley had gone to the Philippines two weeks ago. 
 
 One sister tearfully said: "I know that she don't know anything." 
 
 The woman said Danley is "a good person" who would've stopped Paddock had she been there. 
 
 ___ 
 
 1 a.m. 
 
 A nephew of Stephen Paddock's girlfriend says he's stunned by the actions of the Las Vegas gunman and didn't even know that Paddock was interested in guns. 
 
 Jordan Knights' aunt is Marilou Danley, a 62-year-old who recently returned to the United States from a weekslong trip abroad. The Australian man says he spent time in Las Vegas with Paddock and Danley just a few months ago. 
 
 Knights told Australia's Channel 9 from his home near Brisbane, "It seemed like he just looked after my aunty and that was it." 
 
 The 23-year-old said he didn't give Paddock another thought until he was identified as the gunman who killed 59 people and wounded more than 500 on Sunday. 
 
 He said that Paddock "didn't seem like he was the type of guy to do that." 
 
 ___ 
 
 12:09 a.m. 
 
 The investigation of a gunman who killed 59 people at a Las Vegas concert now shifts to his girlfriend, who has returned to the United States from the Philippines. 
 
 Sheriff Joseph Lombardo says investigators are hoping to get some insight from Marilou Danley on why her boyfriend Stephen Paddock opened fire on a concert crowd from a high-rise hotel room. 
 
 Danley had been out of the country for weeks before the shooting. A law enforcement official says she arrived on a flight from Manila to Los Angeles where FBI agents were waiting for her late Tuesday night. 
 
 The official wasn't authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. 
 
 On Wednesday, President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Las Vegas to meet with public officials, first responders and some of the 527 people injured in the attack. 

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 A federal law enforcement official earlier said two rifles were outfitted with scopes and set up on tripods in front of two big windows. Another official said that among the weapons were AR-15-style assault rifles. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to divulge details of the investigation. 
 
 Sheriff Lombardo said that Mr. Paddock brought at least 10 suitcases into his hotel room over a period of time. 
 
 The sheriff said that Mr. Paddock fired through his hotel room door at security guards, striking one in the leg. The guard is still alive, he said. SWAT officers went in after the guard was shot. 
 
 In addition to the weapons at the hotel, the sheriff said the police retrieved 19 firearms, as well as explosives, several thousand rounds of ammunition and “electronic devices” from Mr. Paddock’s home in Mesquite, Nev. 
 
 Paddock raised no suspicions at a store where he bought firearms. 
 
 The investigation into Mr. Paddock’s gun arsenal led investigators to New Frontier Armory, a large North Las Vegas dealer, distributor and manufacturer of firearms. 
 
 David M. Famiglietti, the company’s president, issued a statement on Tuesday confirming that Mr. Paddock purchased “several” rifles and shotguns from the business last spring — all at the same time. It’s not uncommon for customers to do this to save money on background check fees, Mr. Famiglietti said. 
 
 “The firearms he purchased did not leave our store capable of what we’ve seen and heard in the video without modification,” he said. “They were not fully automatic firearms, nor were they modified in any way — legally or illegally — when they were purchased from us.” 
 
 Mr. Famiglietti said that nothing about Mr. Paddock raised red flags with the store’s sales clerk. On the contrary, according to Mr. Famiglietti, Mr. Paddock seemed to be interested in competitive shooting, asking the clerk a lot of questions about three-gun shooting matches — an increasingly popular sport in which players use a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol. 
 
 “He just seemed like a normal guy,” said Mr. Famiglietti, whose store has been the target of hate mail, threatening phone calls and fake reviews since the shooting. “We obviously did not sell him these firearms with the intent that he would use them to hurt anyone in any way.” 
 
 On Monday, a Mesquite, Nev., gun dealer, Guns & Guitars, acknowledged having sold two rifles and a handgun to Mr. Paddock. Like the purchases at Frontier, those were cleared by state and federal background checks. 
 
 The gunman was ‘not an avid gun guy at all,’ said one of his brothers. 
 
 Mr. Paddock, 64, was described as a high-flying gambler who lived in a quiet retirement community and played golf. Officials said he had no significant criminal history and drew little attention to himself. 
 
 Investigators are trying to piece together his financial history to search for clues that could help determine what set him off. 
 
 Image Stephen Paddock in a photo provided by his brother Eric Paddock. Credit via Associated Press 
 
 Mr. Paddock often bet heavily at the major casino hotels, and his girlfriend, Ms. Danley, 62, who was out of the country at the time of the shooting, had worked for some of those hotels. They lived in Mesquite, Nev., 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas, and he also owned a home in Reno. 
 
 Ms. Danley boarded a flight from Manila to Los Angeles on Tuesday, according to Antonette Mangrobang, a spokeswoman for the Philippine Immigration Bureau. The authorities, who met Ms. Danley at the Los Angeles airport, have called her a “person of interest” in the shooting investigation, which does not necessarily mean that she is suspected of committing a crime. 
 
 ‘I’ve never been that scared in my life,’ said one witness. 
 
 The police estimated that when the shooting began, there were 22,000 people at the Harvest Festival, listening to Jason Aldean, the final act of the three-day event. 
 
 Video of the shooting captured nine seconds of continuous, rapid fire, followed by 37 seconds of silence from the weapon and panicked screaming from the crowd. Gunfire then erupted again and again in extended bursts. Some concertgoers thought the noise was fireworks, but as it became clear what was happening, people fled, many of them unsure where the shots were coming from, or where they should go. 
 
 “Everyone was running, you could see people getting shot,” said Gail Davis, one of the witnesses. “I’ve never been that scared in my life,” she added. “To have this happen, I can’t wrap my mind around it.” 
 
 Video from the shooting showed Mr. Aldean running off the stage as the gunfire erupted. 

 Bump stocks were a novelty popular with YouTube gun enthusiasts wanting to simulate machine gun fire. Then they were found in a mass shooter’s arsenal 
 
 Gun control advocates are calling for a ban on “bump stocks”, the largely unregulated novelty devices which Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock may have used to convert a semi-automatic rifle into a weapon that mimics the continuous fire of a fully automatic weapon. 
 
 At least two bump stocks were recovered in Paddock’s hotel room, the Associated Press reported on Monday night, citing law enforcement sources. It is not yet clear whether they were used in his attack. 
 
 Las Vegas gunman may have used special device to fire faster, expert says Read more 
 
 Bump stocks attach to semi-automatic weapons and harness the recoil of the gun to allow a shooter to fire much faster than they could do if they repeatedly pulled the trigger – as the rifle recoils, the trigger bumps forward into the shooter’s finger to speed up the rate of fire. 
 
 As one company that sells the devices, Bump Fire Systems, put it on its website: “Did you know that you can do simulated full-auto firing and it is absolutely legal?” It listed the price of one stock at $99.99. 
 
 Gun experts called bump stocks a “toy” and “something a gun geek would want”, not a mainstream product or a tool for serious shooters who care about accuracy. Before Sunday’s attack, bump stocks featured prominently in gun enthusiast stunt videos on YouTube. 
 
 Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein, who authored the 1994 ban on assault weapons and has tried unsuccessfully to renew the ban in recent years, said in a statement on Tuesday that she has advocated banning bump stocks for years. 
 
 “This is the least we should do in the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in US history. It should be our highest priority,” Feinstein said. 
 
 “Hardware that turns legal guns into automatic weapons should be prohibited,” Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, one of America’s largest gun control groups, wrote on Twitter. “Automatic weapons are highly regulated; this evades federal law.” 
 
 David Chipman, who spent 25 years as an ATF agent and now works as a policy adviser for Americans for Responsible Solutions, a gun control group, said the bureau has repeatedly confirmed that bump stocks and similar devices are not strictly regulated under the National Firearms Act or the Gun Control Act. 
 
 Bump stocks allow rapid fire “by throwing the trigger against your finger as opposed to your finger pulling on the trigger”, he said. He called the device “a masterful creation of a technical workaround creating a loophole to circumvent the intention of the law”. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest A ‘bump’ stock lies next to a disassembled .22-caliber rifle at North Raleigh Guns in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photograph: Allen Breed/AP 
 
 Rich, a refinery operator from Wilmington, Delaware, who owns more than 40 guns, said he bought a Bump Fire Systems device for about $100 two years ago because it was “the closest thing that I could have that would simulate a machine gun”. Delaware, where he lives, bans the ownership of machine guns, which he would otherwise add to his collection. He requested that his last name not be published so he could candidly discuss his large gun collection without fearing that it might be targeted by thieves. 
 
 Purchasing the bump stock did not required a background check, he said. “It’s just like ammo: you order them online, they ship them to your house.” 
 
 The device was fun as a “range toy”, but tricky to master, and very difficult to fire accurately. “This thing requires practice,” he said. “It’s not something that somebody off the street could do the first time.” 
 
 Many gun stores do not sell bump stocks, perhaps because they might attract “the wrong kind of crowd”, he said, meaning “irresponsible gun owners, people that they watch YouTube videos [and go], ‘Hey, I guess I don’t own a machine gun now,’ and they go out and they do things without seriously thinking about the impact of what they’re doing.” 
 
 Many shooting ranges do not allow bump fire devices for a similar reason, he said. 
 
 “I got my fun out of it but the novelty kind of wore off,” Rich said. “It’s definitely not reliable as a self-defense method or anything else.” 
 
 He said on Monday night that he expected the devices would face intense scrutiny, and that some politicians would call to ban them, which he said would be regrettable. 
 
 “I don’t want to see anything banned because of the actions of one person,” he said. “That just doesn’t jive with my principles of freedom.”
– "For this individual to take it upon himself to create this chaos and harm is unspeakable," Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said Tuesday as he released new details on the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. The sheriff says gunman Stephen Paddock had "preplanned, extensively" for the Las Vegas massacre, hiding a camera in the peephole of his hotel suite and two more in the hallway, one of them on a service cart, to watch for police, the Washington Post reports. Lombardo said Paddock shot through the room door, injuring a security guard, before putting a gun in his mouth and killing himself as a SWAT team closed in. The latest developments: Authorities say Paddock had attached "bump stock" devices to 12 of the 23 guns he had in the Mandalay Bay hotel room, allowing the semiautomatic rifles to fire as fast as fully automatic weapons, USA Today reports. ATF Special Agent in Charge Jill Schneider says authorities determined the weapons were legal. In body camera footage released by police on Tuesday, officers can be heard shouting at bystanders to get away and trying to determine the source of the gunfire, the New York Times reports. "Hey, they’re shooting right at us, guys," one officer says. “Everybody stay down, stay down." Another says: "North of the Mandalay Bay, it's coming out of a window." A law enforcement source tells the Daily Beast that Paddock may have originally planned to attack a different musical event. The source says the weekend before he opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest festival, the gunman rented multiple condos in the Ogden tower, which overlooked the Life Is Beautiful music festival. Lorde and Chance the Rapper headlined the event this year. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the Democrat who authored the 1994 ban on assault weapons, has renewed her call to ban bump stocks, the Guardian reports. "This is the least we should do in the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in US history," she says. "It should be our highest priority." The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Paddock, whose motive is still unknown, was prescribed the anti-anxiety medication diazepam in June. Studies have shown that the drug, brand name Valium, can trigger aggressive behavior. The International Association of Fire Fighters union says that out of the many off-duty firefighters who were at the festival, at least a dozen were shot, two of them while they performed CPR on victims, the Las Vegas Sun reports. Some firefighters brought injured loved ones to safety before immediately returning to the scene to help the wounded. Marilou Danley, Paddock's girlfriend, returned to the US on a flight from the Philippines early Wednesday after having been out of the country for weeks. Her sisters say they believe Paddock sent her overseas so she wouldn't interfere with his rampage, the AP reports. Danley was met by FBI agents at Los Angeles International Airport.