Associated Press / Via MGM Resorts International
In this Sept. 25, 2017, security camera image released by MGM Resorts, Stephen Paddock is shown at the VIP counter checking into the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas. Newly released video shows Paddock, who killed 58 people on the Las Vegas Strip, moving around a casino before the attack, gambling, bringing suitcases into his room at Mandalay Bay but doing nothing that would obviously raise suspicions.
Thursday, March 22, 2018 | 2:31 p.m.
Related content
The parent company of Mandalay Bay today released surveillance video that shows a gunman’s movements through the resort in the days before he opened fire Oct. 1 from a hotel tower into a crowd at a country music festival.
A total of 58 people were killed and more than 800 injured.
The footage shows Stephen Paddock during a seven-day span beginning Sept. 25 bring more than 20 pieces of luggage into the resort, a couple of times with the help of hotel staff.
According to Metro Police, Paddock smuggled an arsenal of 20 assault-style rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition into his suite on the 32nd floor.
The video shows Paddock moving unremarkably and unnoticed through the property. He pulls up to the valet several times, plays video poker for hours, eats alone, chats and smiles with hotel and casino staff and buys snacks at a gift shop.
What the videos don’t do is shed any clues on what led the 64-year-old high-stakes gambler from Mesquite to open fire on the crowd of more than 22,000 concertgoers before killing himself.
MGM Resorts International said it released the footage to provide “greater context” of Paddock’s actions while he was staying at the resort.
“As the security footage demonstrates, Stephen Paddock gave no indication of what he planned to do and his interactions with staff and overall behavior were all normal,” MGM spokeswoman Debra DeShong said in a statement.
No motive for the shooting has been identified, but Metro and the FBI say Paddock acted alone, did not belong to any groups and did not appear to be ideologically driven.
“MGM and Mandalay Bay could not reasonably foresee that a long-time guest with no known history of threats or violence and behaving in a manner that appeared outwardly normal, would carry out such an inexplicably evil, violent and deadly act,” DeShong said. “Our focus continues to be on supporting victims and their families, our guests and employees, and cooperating with law enforcement with their ongoing investigation.”
In January, Metro released an 81-page report based on its preliminary investigation, while a full report is expected later this year, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said.
