Authorities Now Suspect Las Vegas Gunman Had Assistance

During Sunday night's mass shooting in Las Vegas at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, gunman Stephen [...]

During Sunday night's mass shooting in Las Vegas at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, gunman Stephen Paddock may have had assistance, according to TODAY.

Paddock is suspected of setting up a sniper's nest in his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and firing on the concertgoers who were watching country music star Jason Aldean. Law enforcement officials have stated that 58 people were killed with hundreds more injured.

Sheriff Joe Lombardo of the Clark County Police Department said during a press conference that the investigators are of the belief that Paddock "had to have some help."

"You got to make the assumption, he had to have some help at some point," he said.

Lombardo also revealed that Paddock had an "escape plan." While it is not confirmed that there was a second gunman in the incident, law enforcement seems convinced that Paddock did have help from another party.

Outside of his hotel room, Paddock had set up cameras. Lombardo said that he was likely monitoring approaching police officers.

"I anticipate he was looking for anybody coming to take him into custody," Lombardo said. "This is my assumption and only my assumption and nobody has been able to dispel my assumption as of today.

"I believe that because of his countermeasures placed in the peephole and in the hallway, he observed the security guard and he was in fear that he was about to be breached. He was doing everything possible to figure out how he could escape at that point. His concern was personal concern versus what was occurring down below him," he continued.

When the police entered his room, Paddock was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot. Authorities did recover a note left behind but it reportedly was not a suicide note. At this time, the content of the note is unknown.

The motives behind Paddock's lethal rampage remain unclear. It has been determined that the attack was "obviously premeditated" and "meticulously planned."

After searching three locations that were connected to Paddock, police have recovered 47 firearms at this time, according to ABC News. He has reportedly been stockpiling the weapons for decades but purchased 33 in the past year.

"What we know is that Stephen Paddock is a man who spent decades acquiring weapons and ammo and living a secret life," Lombardo said.

On the night before the shooting, Paddock was seen gambling for eight hours straight. He was also seen with a mystery woman that was not his girlfriend Marilou Danley.

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