“Stephen C. Paddock was, by all accounts so far, an ordinary American.”
Oh, screw this guy. An ordinary american ? He should be chased to the border with pitchforks.
This person Stephen Paddock was no ordinary American, no way, no time, not ever. He possessed guns, to be sure, but so far, nobody has connected him to the NRA or any other Second Amendment advocacy group. He studied a LOT of loopholes in the law, and carefully skirted anything that would prematurely identify his future plans or intentions.
While the shooter Paddock may have been proficient in the use of rifles and other sidearms, there is no evidence that he demonstrated prudent and lawful adherence to the purchase, proper use, care, feeding and grooming of such firearms.
After killing people like that, he is going to burn in Hell. No promise made to him during any possible contact with radical or even moderate Islamic activists is going to change that.