The Las Vegas gunman rented a room near a festival where Chance the Rapper and Lorde performed, police confirm
Police have now confirmed reports that, one week prior to the Route 91 attack, Paddock rented a room overlooking another Las Vegas festival, Life Is Beautiful.
The Life Is Beautiful Festival took place from September 22 to 24, and featured artists like Chance the Rapper, Lorde, Gorillaz, and the xx.
The Daily Beast first reported that Paddock may have initially targeted the Life Is Beautiful festival when he rented multiple condos at the Ogden, a luxury condominium tower with a line of sight to the concert grounds.
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo confirmed the report in a press conference on Wednesday. He stated that it's unclear why Paddock rented a room at the Ogden.
"Was he doing pre-surveillance? We don't know yet," Lombardo said.
Last Thursday, days after the Life Is Beautiful festival, Paddock checked into a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
Three days later, from a broken window in his room, he shot into a crowd of about 22,000 concertgoers during the performance of the Route 91 Harvest festival's headliner, Jason Aldean. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
Police found Paddock dead in his Mandalay Bay room and recovered a total of 42 guns from his home and hotel room. His motive remains unclear.