During a press conference on Friday, Sheriff Joe Lombardo gave new insight into the investigation of the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting.
According to Lombardo, evidence shows that the gunman, Stephen Paddock, specifically targeted the police during his attack. In the shooting, multiple officers sustained gunshot wounds and were among the 546 victims.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Up Next: Police Confirm Vegas Shooter Was Firing at Fuel Tanks
In addition to deliberately shooting at the police, Paddock targeted nearby aviation fuel tanks at the McCarran Airport. Fortunately, the likelihood of the fuel tanks catching fire was “very low.”
“I have been advised there is a very low probability that aviation fuel could be ignited by gunfire,” Lombardo said.
At this time, the police are still working to determine the motive behind the mass shooting, which has been labeled as the deadliest in modern U.S. history. Lombardo did share that there is no evidence that has surfaced suggesting the gunman had been radicalized or was affiliated with any terrorist group.
“Hundreds of interviews have been conducted so far,” the FBI stated in regards to progress made on the case. “Close to 2,000 leads have been covered so far. Extensive review of digital media on a multitude of devices is ongoing.”
Lombardo also made sure to dispel the accusations of a conspiracy to cover up any evidence or information from the case.
“There is no conspiracy between the FBI, between the LVMPD and the MGM,” Lombardo said. “Nobody is attempting to hide anything.”
One of the major points of discrepancy that could have possibly led some to believe that there was misinformation being communicated by the authorities was the timeline of the shooting. During the press conference, Lombardo confirmed several new details of the timeline. Learn more here.
