Las Vegas shooting: gunman shot security guard six minutes before killing spree

The Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock, reportedly opened fire on a security guard just six minutes before he shot at a crowd, killing 58 people, officials said on Monday.

Paddock, 64, shot and wounded a security guard who came to his floor at the Mandalay Bay hotel to investigate an open door near his suite, said Clark county sheriff Joseph Lombardo at a news conference, providing new details on what occurred immediately before the shooting on 1 October.

According to Lombardo, the security guard, Jesus Campos, heard drilling from Paddock’s room. Paddock, who had installed three cameras to monitor the approach to his suite, opened fire through the door, firing 200 shots down the hall, injuring the guard, who alerted other security officials.

Paddock shot the guard at 9:59pm local time, according to Lombardo, striking him in the leg, just six minutes before the start of the deadly assault on the Route 91 Harvest music festival, in an attack that began at 10:05pm and lasted a total of 10 minutes.

Paddock killed 58 and injured hundreds more. Previously, Lombardo said that the guard’s arrival in the hallway may have caused Paddock to stop firing.

Officers found Campos when they arrived on the 32nd floor.

Paddock was said to have been previously seen on several occasions in Las Vegas, without anyone accompanying him and he gambled the night before the shooting, said Lombardo.

“This individual purposely hid his actions leading up to this event, and it is difficult for us to find the answers,” said Lombardo, who said he was frustrated with the speed of the investigation.

“In coordination with the FBI’s behavioural analysis unit, a comprehensive picture is being drawn as to the suspect’s mental state and currently we do not believe there is one particular event in the suspect’s life for us to key on,” he said.

There is no indication that anyone other than Paddock himself fired into the crowd, said Lombardo, adding that investigators were speaking to family members and partner of the gunman, Marilou Danley.

There is no evidence to show there was a second shooter. #LVMPD is in contact with the brother of the suspect.#1October

— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 9, 2017

According to Lombardo, Paddock had a document in the room with him, which contained numbers, but could not immediately say what they represented or what purpose they served.

David Newton, Las Vegas police officer said, on Sunday, that he entered the room and found a note on the nightstand with numbers, which appeared to be designed to help Paddock’s aim.

It is unclear why Paddock stopped firing at the crowd, Lombardo said, suggesting that he may have initially planned on escaping.