Sheriff says Las Vegas shooter may have planned on escaping from hotel room

(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

last updated 5 October 2017

Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo gave an update Wednesday night on the investigation into Sunday's mass shooting in Las Vegas, providing a more detailed list of the weapons found inside Stephen Paddock's room at the Mandalay Bay resort and at his homes, revising the number of injured in the massacre, and revealing that Paddock may have wanted to escape before police could find him.

Lombardo said Paddock, 64, "meticulously planned on the worst domestic attack in United States history" and "evaluated everything he did." Paddock checked into the Mandalay Bay resort with 10 bags that carried at least 23 guns, including high-power rifles. Those weapons were all purchased in Nevada, California, Texas, and Utah, Lombardo said. Inside his car, left in the hotel's valet parking area, officers found explosive materials, and at his home in Mesquite, Nevada, law enforcement discovered 19 firearms and more explosive materials. At his Reno house, they found five handguns, two shotguns, and a "plethora of ammunition."

Paddock "spent decades acquiring weapons and ammo and lived a secret life much of which will never be fully understood," Lombardo said. He also revealed that there was evidence Paddock may have planned on trying to escape from his room on the 32nd floor of the hotel, but did not elaborate, and said it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that Paddock had assistance gathering his weapons. He noted that Paddock's location was discovered at 10:18 p.m. by an unarmed Mandalay Bay security guard, who gave police the exact location of the room; Paddock fired 200 rounds into the hallway, aiming at the guard, who survived. While the death toll stands at 59, the number of injured has been revised downward to 489 people, and 317 have been released from the hospital.