ISIS Could Be Behind Las Vegas Attacks According to Expert

Even though the authorities have expressed doubt that the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) was in some way responsible for the Las Vegas shooting, one leading expert says that this narrative might be playing into the ISIS’s hands.

At this time, the investigators have been working to determine a motive for why the gunman, Stephen Paddock, opened fire on concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest Festival last week. From a sniper’s nest set up in his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay resort, Paddock killed 58 people and injured more than 500 others.

Up Next: Photos of 58 Vegas Victims Hang From Healing Garden Wall Created in Their Memory

The authorities have learned at this time that Paddock was a 64-year-old man who described himself as a “professional gambler.” Nothing has led the investigators to believe ISIS’s claim that Paddock converted to Islam and acted as “a soldier” for the group.

According to terrorism analyst Michael S. Smith II, ISIS could be planning to reveal possible evidence in connection to the gunman if he had actually been radicalized and if their claims are true.

“If Islamic State did indeed cultivate Paddock, as it has claimed was the case, the group surely has some evidence of its engagements with him. If it does, it may be the case the group is waiting on FBI and other agencies to dismiss its claim of responsibility for the Las Vegas attack before posting contradictory evidence online for the world to see,” Smith told Newsweek.

More: Casino CEO Steve Wynn Speaks out Following Las Vegas Shooting

“Islamic State has been very focused on undermining confidence among civilians in the West that their technologically-superior governments are competent managers of our collective security,” he continued.

Before the police were able to storm his hotel room, Paddock died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His death led authorities to question why he committed what has been labeled as the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.