5 hypotheses about the motive of the Las Vegas shooter

Having inherited mental illness from his father or being related to IS are two of the hypotheses about Stephen Paddock's motive for committing the crime.

Stephen Paddock, the gunman who opened fire on a concert crowd in Las Vegas. Photo: Fox.

Stephen Paddock, 64, on the evening of October 1, opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on tens of thousands of people attending a nearby music festival, killing 59 people and injuring 527 others. Paddock died, possibly by suicide, before security forces stormed the room.

Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain his motives.

ISIS terrorist attacks

Hours after the shooting, the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility, saying the gunman was "one of their soldiers".

The group claimed Paddock had converted to Islam several months ago and carried out the massacre "in response to the group's calls to attack countries in the anti-IS coalition".

However, law enforcement agencies say they have not found any evidence to support the claim. IS often claims responsibility for major attacks in the West even when they are unrelated because it helps the group spread fear.

There are reports that Paddock sent thousands of dollars a month to the Philippines in the months before the massacre. The Philippines is battling an Islamic extremist group that has pledged allegiance to IS.

However, it is possible that the money was related to Paddock's girlfriend, Marilou Danley, 62, who has family in the Philippines. Police do not consider Danley a suspect in the case.

Police give first aid to an injured person in the shooting. Photo: Evening Standard.

Gambling debt

The only unusual aspect of Paddock's lifestyle was his gambling habit. According to his brother Eric, Paddock would often win up to $250,000 at a time playing online or at casinos.

With successful gambling and properties in Florida, Nevada and California, Paddock was said to be a millionaire. However, any gambler can quickly see their luck run out. So one theory is that Paddock was desperate and had huge debts before the shooting, according to the Mirror.

However, Eric told the media that he was not aware of any financial difficulties his brother had. "As far as we know, he has enough money to live the rest of his life comfortably," he said.

Hatred of casinos

In 2012, Paddock sued a Las Vegas casino after "slipping and falling on the floor." It's one of the few pieces of information about Paddock's past that has attracted attention, but what does it mean?

The casino in question is the Cosmopolitan, not the Mandalay Bay, where he carried out the shooting.

The case was dismissed in 2014, meaning either the two sides agreed to settle or the court found no merit.

Could Paddock have developed a grudge against the casino because of this lawsuit that led to him taking out his anger on the concertgoers? This seems unlikely.

Location of the shooting. Graphic: AP.

Inherited mental illness from father

Investigators are also looking into the killer's life, to see if he inherited mental illness from his father.

Paddock was the son of Benjamin Hoskins Paddock, a bank robber who was on the FBI's most wanted list in 1969 when he escaped from a federal prison in Texas while serving a 20-year sentence. He was recaptured in 1978.

The FBI said Benjamin Hoskins Paddock "was diagnosed with mental illness" and had "suicidal thoughts". He died several years ago.

Politics

Mass shootings are not uncommon in the United States. They always spark debate about gun laws, a highly controversial topic in this country.

The right to bear arms is enshrined in the Second Amendment of the US Constitution, and the National Rifle Association (NRA), which defends that right, is one of the most powerful voices in American politics.

Left-wing commentators have called for a rethink on gun control laws in the wake of the massacre. "We grieve for the victims, but that is not enough. We can and must put politics aside, stand up to the NRA, and work together to prevent this from happening again," Hillary Clinton wrote.

In response, right-wing commentators have pushed the theory that Paddock had ties to left-wing politics, despite no real evidence. Some blogs said Paddock had attended an anti-Trump protest wearing a pink T-shirt and a feminist hat. However, the video they posted as evidence was too blurry to determine whether the person was Paddock.

Paddock was not an official member of the Democratic or Republican parties and was not even registered to vote in Florida, where he had a permanent address.

Overall, it remains a mystery why a wealthy man with no connection to extremists like Paddock would carry out a shooting. Paddock's family has been unable to offer an explanation. The shooting happened suddenly, like "an asteroid falling from the sky," Paddock's younger brother described it.

According to VNE