Gunman shot security guard before massacre
Authorities offer new timeline in shooting
The gunman in the Las Vegas massacre shot a hotel security officer about six minutes before firing on an outdoor concert, a new revelation in the timeline of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
Jesus Campos, who was injured in the leg during the shooting, investigated “sounds of drilling ” coming from the 32nd-floor room of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino where killer Stephen Paddock stayed, authorities said at a news briefing late Monday afternoon.
Paddock, who had an arsenal of rifles and ammunition in his room, drilled holes inside the room in preparation for his wellplanned attack, which included not only firing bullets at the concertgoers below but also the planting of at least 50 pounds of explosives in his car.
Moments later, Campos was shot in the leg by Paddock, an injury he survived. The time of the shooting was 9:59 p.m. Las Vegas time — about six minutes before Paddock began spraying bullets into the crowd. He killed 58 and injured nearly 500 before fatally shooting himself as police closed in.
“He (Campos) was injured prior to the mass volume shooting,” said Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police. Paddock may have drilled holes to install surveillance cameras or to simply have openings to fire bullets through, Lombardo said.
The new timeline may bring more questions about Paddock’s plans and the police response to the shooting. Authorities did not say what happened in the six minutes after Campos’ shooting or whether police were notified of his injury.
Authorities had said the guard’s arrival in the hallway was after Paddock began firing. The earlier police account said Campos may have caused Paddock to stop firing. Monday’s news briefing altered the timeline.
It remains unclear whether Campos disrupted Paddock’s plan to possibly escape or kill more people. Lombardo said it’s possible that Paddock, 64, a retired accountant and wealthy gambler, planned an escape from the carnage he was about to unleash.
Lombardo said Paddock targeted aviation fuel tanks, stockpiled his car with explosives and had personal protection gear as part of an escape plan. Several of the bullets he fired from the highrise hotel appeared targeted toward nearby airport fuel tanks.
The explosives in his car were not detonated.
Lombardo said investigators had not pinpointed the shooter’s motive, despite hundreds of hours of detective work.