Domestic terrorist Stephen Paddock’s brother is struggling to find an attorney to manage the shooter’s estate Thursday after he fired the firm who agreed to handle the matter, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Eric Paddock traveled to Las Vegas from his home in Florida last week to help put Stephen’s assets in order. He insists he is working to ensure the funds go to victims of his brother’s mass shooting on the strip, where he killed 58 people and injured hundreds.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Paddock initially hired Clear Counsel Law Group to oversee the distribution of funds from his brother’s estate, but the group withdrew its petition in District Court Wednesday after being ousted.
Up Next: Las Vegas Sheriff Growing Frustrated as Shooting Questions Go Unanswered
“I’m very upset and disappointed with the law firm because they didn’t honor my instructions that I paid them to do in communicating with the media,” Paddock said.
After relieving Clear Counsel of its duties, Paddock searched for new legal counsel to ensure the gunman’s assets are properly handled, but he received no offers.
“The majority of lawyers here are representing victims, so the only choice may be to let the court approve somebody,” attorney Stephen Stubbs told the Review-Journal. Paddock hired Stubbs to help him find a law firm, but later fired him as well.
Before Paddock fired Clear Counsel, partner of the firm Jonathan Barlow echoed Paddock’s intentions to “collect and preserve the shooter’s assets for the victims.”
While the value Stephen’s estate has not been released, the family of one deceased shooting victim has filed a motion to freeze his assets, ensuring they aren’t distributed to his heirs.
Victim John Phippen’s family has also expressed their intent to sue MGM Resorts and Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino for their alleged negligence in what is now considered the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.
They expect other victims’ families to join in on the lawsuit.
One victim, 21-year-old Paige Gasper, has already filed a hefty lawsuit against the hotel and MGM Resorts, as well as gunman Stephen Paddock’s estate, Live Nation entertainment (who hosted the country music festival) and a bump stock manufacturer, among others.
Gasper alleges that MGM Resorts and Mandalay Bay are at fault because they failed to properly watch visitors coming and going from the hotel during the Route 91 Harvest Festival. She claims they also didn’t respond quickly enough after a security guard was shot six minutes before the mass shooting began, according to police’s most recent timeline.
In addition, the concertgoer, who took a bullet to her chest, alleges that Mandalay Bay staff and security didn’t notice the plethora of weapons Stephen carried up to his hotel suite before the attack, and didn’t act when he broke through his hotel window.
In the coming days, more victims are expected to file lawsuits against various groups involved in the event.
