Las Vegas gunman shot security guard a full six minutes before opening fire

LA Times ^ | October 9, 2017 | Matt Pearce et al

[ALASKA]

Police have dramatically changed their account of how the Las Vegas massacre began on Oct. 1, revealing Monday that the gunman shot a hotel security guard six minutes before opening fire on a country music concert — raising new questions about why police weren’t able to pinpoint the gunman’s location sooner.

Officials had previously said that gunman Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nev., shot Mandalay Bay security guard Jesus Campos after Paddock had unleashed his deadly volley at the Route 91 Harvest festival, an assault that began at 10:05 p.m. and left 58 people dead, with hundreds more injured.

They had credited Campos, who was shot in the leg, with stopping the 10-minute assault on the concert crowd by turning the gunman’s attention to the hotel hallway, where Campos was checking an alert for an open door in another guest’s room.

But Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said Monday that Paddock shot Campos before his mass shooting — at 9:59 p.m. — and they now don’t know why Paddock stopped his attack on the crowd.

[TexasGator]

LOL!

[ifinnegan]

“... and they now don’t know why Paddock stopped his attack on the crowd.”

Good question.

Another, now, might be why he started.

Maybe he wasn’t going to do it. He’d been there days. This was the third day of the show. Almost at the end of the festival.

Maybe he wasn’t actually going to go through with it. Cold feet sort of thing.

But when a security guy came, and he shot him, that made him finally do it.

And then he killed himself.

[PA Engineer]

I am wondering the same.

[Redcitizen]

Howard Purnell: Have you given your official statement yet, ‘cuz I would be VERY cautious about what went IN it.

Nick Memphis: Well, maybe I should wait for the report to come out, read it, and THEN remember.

[Jamestown1630]

The pic I saw seemed to show one atop his left leg, and the suggestion of one under his left gloved hand and upper body.

[topher]

It is strongly POSSIBLE that the SECURITY GUARD was threatened to keep quiet about Hotel/Casino/Security Company failures.

He needs to have the protection missile blowers have...

[snarkytart]

I was a big fan of the sheriff at first but I’m starting to realize every single bit of misinformation can basically be traced back to him. Even throwing out his theories like “radicalization” without saying or giving us evidence WHY he thinks that. We all wanted to hear he was radicalized, but it doesn’t mean it was accurate.
Also saying “there is some evidence the shooter was planning on escaping”, that’s another tidbit the sheriff threw out there with no evidence to back up the comment. The 4 cops on 60 minutes when asked about the sheriff’s comment regarding escaping looked befuddled and said “I didn’t look like that it looked like he was ready for a shoot off/stand off with us”.

[af_vet_1981]

Hmmm, interesting NYT comment about Campos' union in this updated timeline accounting for a 19 minute correction ...
Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said the gunman, Stephen Paddock, had wounded the security guard, Jesus Campos, around 9:59 p.m. on Oct. 1. Minutes later, Mr. Paddock began raining bullets on the Route 91 Harvest Festival, where thousands of fans were watching the country musician Jason Aldean perform.

In its previous timeline, the police said that Mr. Campos told Las Vegas officers he had been shot at 10:18 p.m., about three minutes after the concert shooting ended. Last week, police leaders praised Mr. Campos as a “hero” who helped evacuate hotel guests at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and aided the police in finding the gunman’s room.

Sheriff Lombardo said his department’s initial account was “not completely inaccurate,” and called the adjustments to the timeline “minute changes” that are common in a complex investigation. The sheriff said that Mr. Campos had been on the gunman’s floor to investigate a door alarm in another room and that after being wounded, Mr. Campos immediately told casino security officials he had been shot.

“But what we have learned is that Mr. Campos was encountered by the suspect prior to his shooting to the outside world,” Sheriff Lombardo said at a news conference on Monday, his department’s first update on the investigation in three days.

Sheriff Lombardo also said that Mr. Campos, after being shot, helped protect a maintenance worker from being injured. The sheriff would not say whether he thought the presence of Mr. Campos accelerated or affected Mr. Paddock’s shooting plot.

“I would not make that assumption,” Sheriff Lombardo said.

The president of Mr. Campos’s union did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday evening.

...

Minute-by-minute breakdown of Las Vegas Strip shooting — Timeline (Las Vegas Review Journal 2 days ago)

LA Times Revised Timeline (accounting for change in timeline)

Las Vegas sheriff details timeline of shooting, discovery of gunman (CBS News October 4)

[Mariner]

The NEW timeline says he shot the guard 6 mins before opening fire on the crowd.

Why didn’t Vegas PD know what floor he was on BEFORE he opened fire on the crowd?!?!?!?!

[Mariner]

The NEW timeline says he shot the guard 6 mins before opening fire on the crowd.

Why didn’t Vegas PD know what floor he was on BEFORE he opened fire on the crowd?!?!?!?!

[topher]

Other security guard watching videos was sleeping too sound to notice holes made by 200 rounds and blood all over the place from security guard being wounded...

Hotel clerks told guests to ignore loud noises and go back to sleep when front desk called...

[Karl Spooner]

Nervously, and under the ever watchful eye of the FBI, Sheriff Lombardo stated there is no evidence of a 2nd shooter or that Paddock was connected to any terrorist organization.

Case closed.

Sheriff Lombardo news conference

[exit82]

Well he had a revolver as well. We don’t which weapon was used.

This is Wictor’s theory.

It has some validity, as we now know the security card did not stop Paddock, nor did the first officers on the scene.

And he stopped firing a full 60 minutes before his suite door was breached.

The big question is why did he stop firing with 23 guns and much more ammo to expend.

[ilovesarah2012]

I read he was responding to an open door alarm. What exactly is an open door alarm?

[thinden]

Yup.

What happened to the aussie in the adjoiining room??

[dr_lew]

The cops had to get the the hotel then try to approach the building in the midst of bullets raining down on them ...

Excuse me?

[KC Burke]

What next? Little green men?

[Guenevere]

We’re being lied to.

[dragnet2]

So we have two mystery men!

[BenLurkin]

“Huge minor detail”

I like that turn of phrase!