The FBI Still Doesn’t Know The Motive Behind The Las Vegas Shooter

On October 1, 2017 Stephen Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. His target was a music festival where more than 900 people were injured and 58 were killed.

According to the AP, the FBI has wrapped up their investigation into the shooting without determining the motivation behind the shooting, but FBI officials do believe he acted alone in seeking "infamy" and "mass destruction".

“It wasn’t about MGM, Mandalay Bay or a specific casino or venue,” said Aaron Rouse, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas office. “It was all about doing the maximum amount of damage and him obtaining some form of infamy.”

Rouse says Stephen Paddock acted alone when he planned and carried out the attack. The 64-year-old fatally shot himself after opening fire from his hotel suite.

Rouse says the reason for Paddock’s rampage remains a mystery after months of study by agents and behavioral specialists. Almost 900 people were injured during the Oct. 1, 2017, attack on an outdoor country music concert.

The AP also reported that on the night of the attack, communications were slowed by 911 calls, hysteria, and false reports of other shooters.

A separate report made public in August involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency found that communications were snarled during and after the shooting. It said police, fire and medical responders were overwhelmed by 911 calls, false reports of other shootings at Las Vegas casinos, and the number of victims.

Hotel security video and police officer body camera recordings made public under court order in a public records lawsuit by media including AP showed police using explosives to blast through the door of the 32nd-floor hotel suite where Paddock was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Clark County coroner ruled his death a suicide.

Paddock left no note explaining his actions according to the FBI.