New information about the Las Vegas gunman, Stephen Paddock, and his girlfriend, Marilou Danley, are coming to light.
This past Sunday, Paddock opened fire on concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. In the shooting, 58 people were killed with more than 530 others being injured.
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At the time of the incident, which has been labeled the largest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, Danley was in the Philippines. She returned on Tuesday and was questioned by the authorities the following morning.
Danley delivered a statement via her lawyer in regards to her gunman boyfriend.
“I knew Stephen Paddock as a kind, caring, quiet man,” Danley’s lawyer, Matthew Lombard, said in a statement on her behalf. “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.”
“I was grateful, but honestly, I was worried, that first, the unexpected trip home, and then the money, was a way of breaking up with me,” she said. “It never occurred to me in any way whatsoever that he was planning violence against anyone.”
As investigators continue to try and determine Paddock’s motive for his deadly rampage, details surrounding Danley, her family, and the gunman are continuing to surface. Keep scrolling to learn more.
How Paddock and Danley Met
Danley and Paddock were already living together as early as August 2013, according to public records. At that time, she was separated from her husband, Geary Danley, but still legally married.
Geary and Marilou were married in 1990. In 2002, they moved into a Sparks, Nevada home in a new development area. One of their neighbors, John Heidenreich, said that Marilou was a friendly woman who often would show up at social events on the block, according to the Washington Post.
“I guess she just liked that casino lifestyle,” Heidenreich said. “[Marilou and Geary] seemed like a great couple.”
In 2013, the two separated. They officially filed for divorce on February 25, 2015. During the divorce, Marilou listed her address as a downtown Reno apartment. The home belonged to Paddock.
Paddock and Danley met while she was working as a hostess at the Atlantis Casino. He was a frequent gambler who often spent time at the establishment.
Danley and Paddock’s Relationship
Paddock’s brother, Eric Paddock, claimed that his brother had a healthy relationship with Danley.
“They were adorable — big man, tiny woman. He loved her. He doted on her,” Eric said.
Other parties described Danley and Paddock’s relationship differently. Employees at a Starbucks in Mesquite, Nevada said that Paddock often berated Danley in public.
“It happened a lot,” Esperanza Mendoza, supervisor of the Starbucks, told the Los Angeles Times.
“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,” Mendoza continued.
Danley’s Family
Public records show that Danley has a daughter in Los Angeles and a grandchild.
Danley’s daughter, Sheila Darcey Linton, is an artist who lives in L.A. and is married to Micah Linton, who is the son of Promega CEO Michael Linton.
Sheila and Micah have one child together, according to a photo posted on his Facebook account in 2014. The two live together in an expensive home in Venice.
On Sheila’s personal website, she cites her mother as being a strong influence on her life and that she wanted to be a “dutiful Asian daughter to make my mother proud.”
“Fortunately, my mother, who was shocked and disappointed, didn’t disown or belittle my decision,” Linton wrote. “Instead, she stood by me and demanded the same excellence in this path as she did in the last. Her love never wavered. It was merely my perspective of her that changed.”
Danley and Paddock’s Life Together
Danley and Paddock lived together in a retirement community. Several relatives close to Paddock say that he sold multiple properties in recent years as a source of income.
The two reportedly never stayed in either of their homes in Reno or Mesquite, Nevada for long periods. Neighbors recall that Paddock and Danley would often disappear for long stretches, sometimes for months at a time.
Their neighbors in Mesquite had mixed impressions of the couple.
Some recalled seeing Paddock at a bar named Peggy Sue’s as well as Eureka Casino. He was described as standoffish and sullen. Danley was described quite differently with neighbors saying that she was extremely sweet and friendly.
This past summer, their next-door neighbor, Elizabeth Tyree, got a glimpse into Paddock’s garage. Tyree said that it was completely empty. She asked Danley if they were moving, to which she replied by saying that they bought a new house but were not leaving Reno.
Susan Page, another next-door neighbor, said that she had not seen the couple since August. The last time she saw them, Danley was packing up her car as if she was moving.
