13 New Details About Las Vegas Shooter Stephen Paddock, His Girlfriend And Why Police Are Now Saying He Had An Accomplice

Trying to make sense of this senseless crime.

Stephen Paddock Fox News
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9Four days after the largest massacre in United States history, more details about the shooter, Stephen Paddock, are coming to light. And while shooting into a crowd of 22,000 people —killing 58 and injuring over 500 — will never, ever make sense, police are revealing more and more about how Paddock spent his final days to figure out exactly what led up to the shooting. 

Around 10 p.m. on October 1st, 2017 Paddock smashed the window of his 32nd floor hotel room of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas and start shooting into the crowd of people gathered for the Route 91 Harvest country music festival. 

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The shooting went on for at least nine minutes, and when SWAT teams broke into the 64-year-old shooter's room, he had already killed himself. 

RELATED: How To Tell Your Kids About Mass Shootings Without Scaring Them

Though police haven't said that they've identified Paddock's exact motive for the shooting, more details about his life and his horrific crime have come to light. 

Here's what we now know:

1. Paddock planned to escape after the shooting. 

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Though Paddock committed suicide shortly after the shooting, police are now saying that wasn't a part of the original plan. 

He checked into the hotel Sept. 28 with 10 bags and 23 guns. He set up surveillance cameras both inside and outside his suite, including a camera in the room so he could record himself. During his three day stay, he also ordered room service. 

The night before the shooting, he gambled for eight hours straight. 

2. Police believe he had an accomplice and that he led a secret life. 

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Clark County, Nev., Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said it was only logical to believe that Paddock had "some help" during the massacre and that he led a "secret life" that they'll probably never fully understand. 

"Anything that would indicate this individual’s trigger point, that would cause him to do such harm, we haven’t understood it yet," Lombardo told reporters Wednesday. "Don't you think the concealment of his history of his life was well thought out?"

Paddock had no close friends, social media presence, connections to any extremist or terrorists groups, or any signs of mental illness. 

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3. He had a 'plethora' of weapons. 

Cans of tannerite — which can be used to accelerate combustion — and 1,600 rounds of ammunition were found in his car. They also discovered 19 more firearms in his home in a retirement community in Mesquite, Nevada. 

Additional weapons were found in his property in Reno. He's been stockpiling guns since 1982, all purchased legally. 

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4. His girlfriend is still a person of interest and she's currently being interviewed by the FBI. 

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Marilou Danley, who lived with Paddock at his home in Mesquite, returned to the United States Oct. 3 from the Philippines, where she was born. According to her brother, she was calm when he told her about Paddock's shooting and said she had a "clear conscience." 

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In a statement, Danley maintained that she had no idea about the shooting when Paddock bought her a ticket home and wired her nearly $100,000 when she got there.

“I knew Stephen Paddock as a kind, caring, quiet man. He never said anything to me or took any action that I was aware of that I understood in any way to be a warning that something horrible like this was going to happen.”

Though she's a person of interest, police said they do not believe Danley is an accomplice. 

5. He left a note in his hotel room. 

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Before Paddock killed himself, he apparently left a note in his hotel room that could give some insight into his motive for the attack. Sheriff Lombardo confirmed the note existed, but hasn't revealed what it says. 

He did say that it was not a suicide note. 

RELATED: Families And Friends Share The Photos And Names Of The Las Vegas Shooting Victims As We Learn New Details About The Massacre

6. There are rumors that Paddock was abusive towards Danley. 

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They met at a casino where Danley worked and Paddock gambled. Though Paddock's family said they were adorable together, an employee at a Starbucks they frequented said the shooter's behavior was abusive. 

Esperanza Mendoza, a supervisor at the coffee shop, said he would berate her in public and talk down to her. 

“He would glare down at her and say — with a mean attitude — ‘You don’t need my casino card for this. I’m paying for your drink, just like I’m paying for you.’ Then she would softly say, ‘Okay’ and step back behind him. He was so rude to her in front of us.”

7. Neighbors thought the couple was moving out of Mesquite. 

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Neighbors described Danley as friendly, but Paddock as sullen and standoffish. A few noticed them packing up a car, an empty garage and that Paddock had purchased a van. They were also seen moving a mattress.

When they asked if they were moving, Danley told them no, that they had just bought another house.

Another neighbor said she hadn't seen the couple since August, and that they would often disappear for long periods of time. 

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8. He didn't have much contact with his family. 

Paddock stopped talking to his brother Bruce because he used to beat him up when they were kids, and he stopped talking to his other brother, Patrick because they were "very different people." 

Eric Paddock went into the real estate business with his brother, Stephen, but said Stephen only texted him every now and then. 

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Before the shooting, Eric said he hadn't heard from his brother in six months. 

9. Paddock may have targeted other festivals, including Lalapalooza. 

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He rented a room at a nearby hotel during the weekend the Life Is Beautiful music festival was taking place. 

Paddock also rented two rooms in July that overlooked the Lalapalooza festival in Chicago. Malia Obama attended that festival. The hotel directly overlooked the mainstage, and sources said he requested a "view room." 

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10. Investigators are looking for a "mystery woman" seen with Paddock. 

In the days leading up to the attack, police say an unknown woman was seen with Paddock. Danley was already in the Philippines, so officials are trying to track down this woman to help establish a timeline. 

They didn't say if she has any connection to the shooting. 

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11. He was huge gambler, who bet more than $10,000 per day on occasion. 

In recent weeks, Paddock made some huge gambling transactions — some even as high as $30,000 a day — though it's not clear if those were wins or losses. 

12. His father was on the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted List. 

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Vice

Benjamin Paddock was on the FBI's Most Wanted List in the 1970s for bank robberies. He was described as a psychopath in an arrest warrant and escaped from prison just six months after his sentencing. 

He lived on the lamb for several years before he was found in Oregon. 

13. Despite police saying there was no sign of mental illness, conflicting reports say he was "descending into madness." 

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Investigators said Paddock lost a significant amount of weight, had an increasingly slovenly physical appearance and a growing obsession with Danley's ex-husband. 

It was also reported that he was prescribed an anti-anxiety drug in June that can lead to aggressive behavior. 

“If somebody has an underlying aggression problem and you sedate them with that drug, they can become aggressive,” said Dr. Mel Pohl, chief medical officer of the Las Vegas Recovery Center. “It can disinhibit an underlying emotional state. … It is much like what happens when you give alcohol to some people … they become aggressive instead of going to sleep.”

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Emily Blackwood is an editor at YourTango who covers pop culture, true crime, dating, relationships and everything in between. Every Wednesday at 10:20 p.m. you can ask her any and all questions about self-love, dating, and relationships LIVE on YourTango’s Facebook page. You can follow her on Instagram (@blackw00d) and Twitter (@emztweetz).