New footage released of Vegas shooter’s final days

CHILLING new hotel surveillance footage has revealed Stephen Paddock’s final days before he committed the largest mass shooting in US history.

SURVEILLANCE footage released on Thursday shows hotel bellhops helping Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock with his luggage — oblivious to the fact that his bags hold weapons and ammunition that would be used to commit the largest mass shooting in US history.

The footage was among several clips originally published by The New York Times, showing Paddock inside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in the days leading up to the October 1 massacre, the New York Post reports.

Paddock looks eerily calm as he wheels bags filled with weapons through the hotel.

The footage, provided by MGM Resorts, begins on September 25 when Paddock checked into the hotel.

He appears unassuming as he gambles on the video poker machine, stands in line at the gift shop, buys snacks, eats sushi, chats with staff and travels in the hotel lift.

He is shown repeatedly leaving the hotel for his home in Mesquite, and later returning in his dark mini-van loaded with suitcases. Each time, valets take his keys and bellhops stack his luggage on gold carts — helping him move at least 21 bags over the course of seven days, according to the report.

Paddock casually chats and jokes with the staff, even tipping them, the video shows.

The video shows staff unwittingly helping Paddock bring luggage reportedly filled with guns and ammunition to his hotel room.

Towards the end of the footage, Paddock is shown waiting for two people carrying inflatable pool floats to get out of the lift on the afternoon of September 30. He then gets in, making his way to the 32nd floor — where he carried out his shooting rampage the following day.

In a statement, MGM resorts spokeswoman Debra DeShong said the video was released “in the interest of providing greater context around Stephen Paddock’s actions in the days leading up to October 1”.

“As the security footage demonstrates, Stephen Paddock gave no indication of what he planned to do and his interactions with staff and overall behaviour were all normal,” Ms DeShong said in the statement. “MGM and Mandalay Bay could not reasonably foresee that a long-time guest with no known history of threats or violence and behaving in a manner that appeared outwardly normal, would carry out such an inexplicably evil, violent and deadly act.

“Our focus continues to be on supporting victims and their families, our guests and employees, and co-operating with law enforcement with their ongoing investigation.”

Paddock targeted revellers at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival, killing 58 people and wounding more than 800. His motive remains a mystery.

This story first appeared on the New York Post and has been republished here with permission.