Las Vegas shooter may have had help accumulating nearly 50 weapons

Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock may have had help organizing Sunday’s massacre, police said Wednesday. The killer, who left 58 dead and 489 injured after firing on the Route 91 Harvest country music festival, also planned to escape from his 32nd floor hotel room, though police did not say how.

At a press conference, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said it was difficult to see how Paddock, 64, had accumulated so many guns, ammunition and potentially explosive material without assistance.

“You have to make an assumption that he had some help at some point,” Lombardo said, adding only a “superhero” could have pulled off the shooting alone.

Paddock killed himself after the attack, but Lombardo said there were signs he’d intended to flee. “He was doing everything possible to see how he could escape at this point,” Lombardo said.

Police still have no clear motive, but Lombardo said officials were investigating whether an incident in 2016 may have precipitated the purchase of 30 firearms — though he added no further details.

Authorities have recovered 50 firearms from three locations, including 23 from the hotel room, 12 of which were fitted with so-called bump stocks that enable a shooter to fire more rapidly, mimicking automatic fire.

“What we know is that Stephen Paddock is a man who spent decades acquiring weapons and ammo and living a secret life, much of which will never be fully understood,” Lombardo said.

Despite ISIS claiming Paddock was a supporter, the FBI said it has still has no evidence “to indicate terrorism.

Paddock’s girlfriend, Marilou Danley, returned to the U.S. from the Philippines Wednesday and was questioned by the FBI. She said she was unaware of the Paddock’s plans.