The Unlikely Face Of Evil
We will likely never know why Stephen Paddock went on a killing spree from the window of a Las Vegas hotel. He was apparently never on the wrong side of law enforcement nor did he proclaim a deep hatred for any entity or cause. False social media posts have popped up claiming that Mr. Paddock was a radical Trump supporter, Trump-hater and a Muslim extremist, however none of these claims have been validated (in fact they have all been partially or entirely refuted). We have learned more about this man and as the investigation into this horrific event continues, more will be brought to light. But nothing will make sense of the evil this man unleashed on a mass of random victims.
LAS VEGAS — Stephen Paddock was a contradiction: a gambler who took no chances. A man with houses everywhere who did not really live in any of them. Someone who liked the high life of casinos but drove a nondescript minivan and dressed casually, even sloppily, in flip-flops and sweatsuits. He did not use Facebook or Twitter, but spent the past 25 years staring at screens of video poker machines.
Mr. Paddock, a former postal worker and tax auditor, lived an intensely private, unsocial life that exploded into public view on Sunday, when he killed 58 people at a country music festival and then shot himself. But even with nationwide scrutiny on his life, the mystery of who he was has only seemed to deepen.
On Friday, a law enforcement official said Mr. Paddock’s girlfriend, Marilou Danley, told investigators that he seemed to be deteriorating in recent months both mentally and physically. Perhaps his methodical and systematic mind had turned in a lethal and unpredictable new direction. To the few people who knew him well, it is the only plausible explanation.
“I wish I could tell you he was a miserable bastard, that I hate him, that if I could have killed him myself I would have,” said Eric Paddock, a younger brother. “But I can’t say that. It’s not who he was. We need to find out what happened to him. Something happened to my brother.”
The Las Vegas police believe Mr. Paddock may have had a secret life. He had been buying guns since 1982. But something seemed to change last October. He went on a shopping spree, adding to his arsenal until late last month. One of his purchases, a shotgun, came from Dixie Gunworx in St. George, Utah. Chris Michel, the owner, said Mr. Paddock visited the store three times in January and February, making the 40-minute drive from Mesquite, Nev.
Mr. Michel recalled Mr. Paddock saying that he was stopping at a number of local gun dealers, that he had retired and moved to the area, and that he was trying to get back into his hobbies.
When it came to guns, Mr. Michel said, “he was not a novice.”
