Las Vegas mass shooter opened fire after losing $1.5M while gambling weeks before massacring 60

Las Vegas mass shooter Stephen Paddock killed 60 people and injured hundreds more after losing $1.5 million in gambling weeks before the shooting, new FBI files have revealed.

An FBI interview with the gunman’s gambling partner, detailed in hundreds of pages of documents made public this week, suggests his loss may have been an influence.

The other player, whose name is redacted in the documents, said he believes stress could have easily caused gunman Stephen Paddock to “break down”. Paddock, 64, was a video poker player who relied on gambling as his main source of income.

The revelation comes years after the FBI in Las Vegas and the local police department wrapped up their investigations without a definite motive, though both agencies said Paddock spent more than $1.5 million, became obsessed with guns and distanced himself from his girlfriend and family in the months prior to the massacre.

In a statement Thursday, Las Vegas police defended their inconclusive findings and dismissed the significance of documents released this week in response to a Wall Street Journal record-breaking request.

“We were unable to determine the shooter’s motive,” the statement said. “Speculating on a motive does further damage to the hundreds of people who were victims that night.”

The 10-minute massacre unfolded on the final night of the three-day Route 91 Harvest Music Festival across the street from the Mandalay Bay resort, where Paddock was staying on the 32nd floor.

Still, the cache of documents offers new insight into the gunman’s mindset through interviews with neighbors, acquaintances and employees of the Las Vegas casinos he frequented.

FBI interviewees described Paddock as a “weird” introvert who never made eye contact and only wanted to talk about gambling, while the gunman’s gambling partner told the FBI that Paddock was “very upset” that the deal red carpet for high rollers seemed to fade.

According to the player, casinos had previously offered high rollers like Paddock free cruises, flights, penthouses, rides in “nice cars” and tours of the wine country. But in the years leading up to the Oct. 1, 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, the gambler said casinos had begun banning some high rollers “for playing well and winning big money.” Paddock himself had been banned from three Reno casinos, according to the documents.

Kelly McMahill, a former Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department official who led the agency’s criminal investigation into the shooting, said there was no strong indication that Paddock’s actions were motivated by resentment of the casino industry.

His weapons were seen lying in the bathroom and around the hotel room. A dozen of Paddock’s weapons were modified with attachments that turn semi-automatic rifles into fully automated weapons.

Guns were seen scattered on the beds in the hotel room.

An FBI interview with the gunman’s gambling partner is detailed in hundreds of pages of documents made public this week. The player, whose name is redacted in the documents, said he believed stress could have easily caused the Paddock gunman to “break down”.

“There is no way that LVMPD has hidden any potential motive from our victims and survivors for five years,” McMahill said.

The 10-minute massacre unfolded on the final night of the three-day Route 91 Harvest Music Festival across the street from the Mandalay Bay resort, where Paddock was staying on the 32nd floor.

Authorities have said Paddock unleashed a barrage of bullets into the crowd of 22,000 from his corner suite with a commanding view of the Strip and the concert grounds.

His gambling habits made him a highly sought after casino patron. Mandalay Bay employees gave him the $590-a-night suite for free and let him use a private service elevator to carry his multiple suitcases. Hidden inside those suitcases were the weapons that he would use for the massacre.

A dozen of Paddock’s guns were modified with rapid-firing bump stocks, accessories that effectively convert semi-automatic rifles into fully automated weapons. Some had bipod clamps and scopes. Authorities said his guns had been purchased legally.

Police crouch next to a patrol car outside the resort in 2017.

But before settling on Mandalay Bay, Paddock also researched other great spots. She booked rooms overlooking Chicago’s Lollapalooza festival in August 2017 and the Life is Beautiful festival in downtown Las Vegas near the Strip.

‘What we know about [Paddock’s internet] The search history is that he was looking for a large crowd of people which, of course, he ended up finding,” said McMahill, a former Las Vegas police officer.

An FBI spokesman in Las Vegas declined to comment. In the agency’s final report released in 2019, he said Paddock had sought notoriety in the attack and perhaps wanted to follow in his father’s criminal footsteps. The report also said that his physical and mental health was deteriorating as his wealth decreased.

Paddock acted alone, killing himself when SWAT officers approached and leaving no note as to the reason for the rampage.

“If we ever find out a motive, whether it’s 10 years from now, 20 years from now, I have faith that LVMPD will contact the victims first before going public with anything,” McMahill said. ‘It’s the right thing to do.’