FBI Says Over 1,000 Pieces of Evidence Collected, No Sign of Vegas Shooter’s Affiliation to Any Groups

During a press conference Friday, an agent for the FBI outlined the extensive evidence that has been recorded and combed through concerning gunman Stephen Paddock and his Oct. 1 attack on Las Vegas concertgoers.

“Hundreds of interviews have been conducted so far,” Aaron Rouse, special agent in charge of the Las Vegas divison, shared of the FBI’s progress 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.”

They reveal that “over 1,000 pieces of evidence” from the event have been collected and are being reviewed by the FBI’s laboratory.

In investigating these leads and pieces of evidence, they also claim they have “found no signs of ideology or affiliation to any groups” on behalf of Paddock, leaving his motive a mystery nearly two weeks after the deadliest attack in modern American history.

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The FBI shared the podium with Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, who revealed key updates of his own on the case’s progress.

Lombardo stated that during Paddock’s attack on festival attendees of the Route 91 Harvest Festival, he was intentionally firing upon fuel storage tanks at Las Vegas‘ McCarran International Airport. It was not likely that the gunfire could have triggered an explosion, he added.

“I have been advised there is a very low probability that aviation fuel could be ignited by gunfire,” Lombardo said.

Also during the conference, Lombardo addressed one ever-changing aspect of the case: the timeline of events leading up to and following Paddock’s mass gunfire.

He acknowledged that Las Vegas police stand by the time 9:59 p.m., which has become a central starting point for the timeline of events. However, he said the event linked to that time previously — when Paddock shot and wounded security officer Jesus Campos —is inaccurate.

Lombardo said investigators now believe that 9:59 p.m. is the time Campos first “encountered” the barricaded door next to Paddock’s room on the 32nd floor. To gain access to the 32nd floor, Campos had to go to another floor to get back there and address an opened door. At that point, he was wounded by Paddock.

Police now say there was a six-minute gap from that initial encounter and the moment Paddock began firing at the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival crowd. Campos received his wounds in “close proximity” to 10:05 p.m., when Paddock started firing.

While describing this timeline update, Lombardo made it a point to acknowledge MGM Resorts’ claim Wednesday that the previous timeline of events was inaccurate, and add that he agrees with the hotel giant.

Additionally, Lombardo dismissed accusations of a conspiracy between the FBI, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and MGM Resorts, the owner of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

“Nobody is attempted to hide anything,” he said.

Photo credit: ABC News