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Stephen paddock
Executive summary
Stephen Paddock was the gunman who fired from a Mandalay Bay hotel room into a crowd at the Route 91 Harvest festival, killing about 58–59 people and wounding hundreds; investigators concluded he acted alone but never established a clear motive [1] [2] [3]. Reporting and later releases — including FBI files and police evidence — show extensive firearms, ammunition and planning activity, gambling patterns, and remaining unanswered questions about motive and decision-making [4] [5] [2].
1. The attack and immediate findings — what happened
On Oct. 1 (year described in the reporting), Paddock opened fire from the 32nd-floor Mandalay Bay suite into concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest festival, producing what most outlets call the deadliest modern U.S. mass shooting: about 58 people were killed at the scene or shortly after and hundreds were injured [1] [2] [6]. Law-enforcement timelines and released surveillance show him checking in, moving luggage and making repeated trips to the room in the days before the attack [2].
2. Weapons, material and evidence the FBI disclosed
Federal records and reporting indicate investigators found large quantities of ammunition and weapons-related material connected to Paddock; one FBI document cited more than 1,000 rounds and about 100 pounds of explosive material in his vehicle, and correspondence referring to bump stocks and assault-style rifles appears in released files [4]. Authorities also documented devices that could alter firing rates on semi-automatic weapons and extensive evidence inside the suite [1] [4].
3. Lone actor conclusion — but motive remains unknown
Local police and the FBI concluded Paddock acted alone in carrying out the shooting, yet no single, clear motive was identified in subsequent investigations and reports; the FBI’s behavioral analysis said investigators could not determine a “single or clear motivating factor” [2] [5] [3]. Reporting notes investigators considered declining physical and mental health and possible suicidal intent as part of their assessment, but these do not suffice to explain why he planned and executed the massacre [5].
4. Background details that shaped public and investigative interest
Reporting highlights Paddock’s lifestyle elements investigators probed: he was described as a high-stakes gambler who sometimes carried large sums of cash and had an obsessive interest in gambling and casinos, which investigators and acquaintances said factored into his state of mind before the attack [5] [1]. His family background and earlier life details have been compiled in profiles and summaries that reporters used to contextualize his history but do not provide a motive [6] [7].
5. Newer disclosures and continuing questions
Years after the attack, additional releases and reporting continued to add details while leaving core questions open. Unsealed FBI files and other documents added color — for instance, about Paddock’s anger at casinos and more granular interviews — but still fell short of explaining why he chose that course of action [5]. Local reporting and records releases have also produced new material such as body-camera footage and letters found after the fact, which raise further questions about what people around him knew or suspected [8] [9].
6. Competing narratives and what the sources disagree on or cannot confirm
Media coverage and official files converge on many concrete facts (location, casualties, weapons found) but diverge on interpretation. Some reporting emphasizes Paddock’s gambling losses and anger at casinos as possible factors; FBI behavioral analysts and other investigators acknowledge these elements but explicitly say they do not provide a definitive motive [5] [3]. Other claims — for example, that he conspired with others or was motivated by extremist ideology — are not supported in the cited reporting and the official conclusion of a lone actor with no clear motive remains the dominant account [2] [1].
7. Why uncertainty persists — limits of available records
Investigators had extensive physical evidence but limited explanatory testimony from Paddock himself (he died at the scene), which constrains motive analysis; behavioral experts rely on interviews with acquaintances, medical records and digital evidence, which can suggest factors but typically cannot reconstruct inner intent conclusively [5] [3]. Available sources do not mention any single document or confession that definitively answers “why” he acted.
8. Where reporting has followed — and what to watch for
Subsequent journalism has focused on newly unsealed files, court proceedings over evidence release, and the lingering human and policy fallout; readers should watch for further declassifications of FBI or police records, newly released body-camera footage, or credible first-person documents (letters, journals) that could change the picture [8] [4]. Until such material is produced and verified, the central factual frame remains: a lone gunman, massive casualties, extensive weaponry and no single agreed motive [1] [4] [3].
Limitations: This summary relies solely on the provided reporting and unsealed-file accounts; available sources do not mention any definitive motive-conferring document or confession beyond what is cited above [5] [3].