Suspected Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock reportedly rented several high-rise condos in the days before attacking a country music festival from the Mandalay Bay hotel, suggesting he may have originally planned to fire upon an earlier music festival which featured the likes of Lorde, Chance the Rapper, and Gorillaz.
The Daily Beast cites a senior law authority source who said 64-year-old Paddock rented condos at the Ogden, which overlooks the Life Is Beautiful festival grounds in Downtown Las Vegas. That festival ran from September 22 to September 24, just days before the October 1 attack on the Route 91 Harvest festival.
Video seemingly captured from the Ogden during the Life Is Beautiful festival shows the vantage point from the building.
Paddock was reportedly “immediately” stopped by security when he arrived at the Ogden. The source said it’s possible Paddock backed down from his original plan after he was confronted at the Ogden, and chose to check in to the Mandalay Bay instead.
23 firearms were recovered from Paddock’s suite at the Mandalay Bay. They had been smuggled into the accomodation in ten suitcases.
The Ogden’s owners didn’t confirm nor deny the allegations to The Daily Beast, as “this is an on going investigation.”
59 people have died as a result of the shooting, with hundreds more injured.
