Las Vegas shooter rented a condo overlooking another music festival a week before massacre

Stephen Paddock, undated photo.
(Image credit: Eric Paddock via AP)

Stephen Paddock rented at least one condo in the Las Vegas residential high-rise the Ogden the weekend before he opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival concert from a suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel Sunday night, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo confirmed Wednesday evening. Paddock rented the room during the Life is Beautiful festival, across the street from the Ogden, via AirBnB, Lombardo said, though he added it was unclear yet if Paddock was engaged in "pre-surveillance" to prepare for his massacre. Police are reviewing video from the Ogden to ascertain Paddock's activities.

Paddock's stay at the Ogden during the Life is Beautiful festival — which ran Sept. 22-24 and featured Lorde and Chance the Rapper — was first reported by The Daily Beast, citing a "senior law enforcement source" who's "not directly involved in the investigation but has been briefed on its progress." That source speculated that perhaps Paddock meant to fire into that concert but lost his nerve or changed his mind.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.