Earlier this week, news broke that a gunman showered bullets into a festival crowd in Las Vegas, killing over 50 people and injuring hundreds. It was scary and shocking news to find out about. The shooter, Stephen Paddock, was in a hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. From there, he open-fired into the unsuspecting crowd at the Route 91 Harvest Festival where country star, Jason Aldean headlined. While there's still not much information pertaining to his motives, the police continue to investigate what happened that night. However, in a new report from the Daily Beast, they say that he may have been plotting to attack a festival only a week prior.
In an article from The Daily Beast, their senior law enforcement source said that Paddock rented out numerous condos that overlooked the Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas. Both Lorde and Chance the Rapper were the headlining acts. It should be noted that their source isn't directly involved in the case but has been updated throughout the investigation process. Paddock checked into the Manadalay Bay Hotel on September 28th, a few days prior to the shooting. Law enforcement is still unsure why he changed his plans but they did suggest that it may be because he "lost his nerve" or just changed his mind. The condos that he rented were at the Ogden which is a 21-story luxury condo building that has a direct view of the Life Is Beautiful festival grounds.
While it's still an ongoing investigation, the public affairs officer for Fais Foley Warren and owner of the Ogden, was not able to confirm or deny whether Paddock rented out a condo unit in their building.
The Las Vegas shooting has stirred up a lot of conversation surrounding gun control. Law enforcement recovered 23 weapons in his room along with around 19 fire arms, a large quantity of ammunition and an explosive at his home in Nevada. Paddock was found dead in his hotel room after he fired shots into the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest festival on Sunday night.
With new information being revealed daily, we continue to keep the victims and the families of those affected in our prayers and thoughts.