Stephen Paddock

"“lone nut”"  Stephen Paddock   (accountant, gambler, businessman)
Born	Stephen Craig Paddock 1953-04-09 Clinton, Iowa, U.S.
Died	2017-10-01 (Age 64) Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
Alma mater	California State University
Parents	Benjamin Hoskins Paddock

Stephen Paddock was a multi-millionaire shot dead the night of October 1, 2017, reportedly with 23 guns on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. The US government gives him sole responsibility for the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the Commercially-controlled media has been slow to suggest a motive, but quick with claims that he devised "a carefully conceived plan designed for maximum carnage."

Background

Paddock's father, Benjamin Hoskins Paddock was a convicted bank robber reported to be a psychopath with suicidal tendencies, but the two did not know one another.

Career

Stephen Paddock had a range of jobs for the US government, including the U.S. Postal Service (1976-1978) and the IRS. In 1985 he audited "defense contractors"^[Which?]. Towards the end of the 1980s, Paddock worked for three years as an internal auditor for a company that later merged to form Lockheed Martin. "Lockheed Martin confirmed his employment but did not identify the company for which Mr. Paddock worked." After this, his employment history is less clear. Dan Hopsicker has suggested that Paddock, presented as a compulsive gambler, may in fact have been engaged in money laundering.

Activities

The Washington Post write that "He liked to bet big, wagering tens of thousands of dollars in a sitting. He owned homes in four states but preferred staying in casino hotels, sometimes for weeks at a time, as he worked the gambling machines. He grew up the son of a convicted bank robber who was constantly running from the law."

Paddock is reported to have wired his girlfriend $100,000 "in recent weeks and told her to buy a house for her family in the Philippines", an interesting parallel with another "lone nut", Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who sent a similar sum a few days before the Nice truck event.

State of Mind

Paddock had no history of violence and no criminal record; his only infraction was a minor traffic citation years before the shooting, which he settled in court. The authorities have presented no explanation for Paddock's behaviour. His brother professed complete shock and said that he "didn’t hunt and barely shot his guns".

Alcohol and Valium

Citing CBS, the Wikipedia article mentions that "During his last months, he reportedly smelled of alcohol from early morning" and that he used valium. The CBS information comes from a hairdresser who saw him 3 times in 3 years. She reports that on all 3 occasions he had been up all night drinking.

Many thanks to our Patrons who cover ~2/3 of our hosting bill. Please join them if you can.