compiled by Rich Wang

On Sunday, October 1, the deadliest mass shooting in modern history of the United States took place. Stephen Craig Paddock, age 64, fired on people at a music concert in Mandalay Bay from his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Over 20,000 people attended the concert. Since one of the guns was set to automatic fire, 59 people were killed and at least 527 were injured. When authorities attempted to apprehend Paddock, the man committed suicide by shooting himself.

Paddock is believed to have checked into the hotel on Thursday, three days before the shooting. It has been confirmed that he had ten suitcases with him. Twenty-three guns were found in his room. Several of them had loaded high-capacity magazines, law enforcement sources said earlier on Monday. Among the guns and ammunition police found in the room being used by Paddock were several high-powered rifles capable of penetrating police armor. There were also multiple handguns in the room. Additionally, police found a camera that Paddock used to record himself.

In Paddock’s two homes, even more guns were found, with the total weapon count reaching a shocking forty-seven. In a separate location searched by authorities, tannerite, an explosive used in target practice, was found. Police found Paddock’s roommate, Marilou Danley, 62, and do not think she was involved, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters Monday that authorities believe Paddock killed himself, adding an ongoing investigation.

Tracing the weapons confirmed that Paddock visited several gun stores, with one being visited three times. He bought multiple guns, including multiple semiautomatic rifles and a shotgun. However, he had to go through tests and background checks for the stores to determine if it was safe to give him the guns. Despite the fact that people reported hearing automatic gunfire at the shooting, none of the guns Paddock bought were fully automatic. Although it is not legal to buy a fully automatic gun, it is possible to convert a legal semiautomatic gun to become fully automatic.

Eastvale resident Sharon Hsu comments that “[Paddock] was not a celebrity, but he had ten suitcases and nobody thought it was strange.” She adds that because of this, “the hotel staff should have looked to see what he had with him.” Her statement holds a lot of merit, as a man with ten suitcases checking into a hotel is bound to draw a large amount of attention.

There are multiple ways this could have been prevented. One of the gun stores was visited by Paddock a total of three times; three visits to the exact same gun store in a short time usually doesn’t seem right. Paddock, who was not a well-known person, checked into the hotel with ten suitcases; anyone would have found that suspicious, but nothing was done about it. Other actions could have been taken, but the damage has already been done. While the investigation will take quite a while, the push for gun laws has increased drastically from this tragic event.