FBI questions Las Vegas gunman’s girlfriend in search for motive behind slaughter
64-year-old retired accountant Stephen Paddock had no criminal history, no evidence of mental illness and no affiliations to religious or extremist groups before he launch a deadly attack on a music festival, killing 58 and injuring hundreds
FBI agents questioned the girlfriend of the Las Vegas gunman on Wednesday hoping for more answers into what sparked the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history and possible glimpses into the planning that turned hotel rooms into an armed fortress.
So far, however, few clues have emerged to help investigators understand 64-year-old Stephen Paddock and the evil he rained down on a Las Vegas concert – leaving at least 59 dead, including himself – and once again bringing calls for greater gun controls to the centre of political debate.
In a backdrop of anguish and anger, President Donald Trump left for Las Vegas on Wednesday with first lady Melania Trump.
He it was a “sad day” as he departed the White House, that authorities were “learning a lot more” about the gunman and that those details would be revealed at “an appropriate time”.
Trump previously signalled he would sidestep the gun control debate during the visit, saying on Tuesday that “we’ll be talking about gun laws as time goes by”.
Piece by piece, investigators have put together a profile of Paddock – a retired accountant – making meticulous preparations for the moment when he smashed a window in the 32nd floor of his hotel room and opened fire with a weapon, apparently modified to spew bullets with the split-second speed of an automatic rifle.
