Investigators have yet to find the hard drive from Stephen Paddock’s computer, which was missing when they stormed his hotel room earlier this month
A laptop found in Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock’s room had its hard drive removed, ABC News reports.
The hard drive is where all the information on a computer is stored. Without it, investigators have no idea what Paddock was doing on his computer in the lead-up to the attack – information that could prove crucial in establishing a motive.
It’s believed that Paddock removed the hard drive sometime before committing suicide, but it’s unclear what he did with it and investigators have not been able to locate it.
Investigators have also learned that Paddock bought software that erases files from a hard drive, but it’s unclear if he used it.
While most mass shooters leave behind notes explaining their reasons for committing murder, a few have tried to cover up their tracks like Paddock.
Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza smashed the hard drive of his computer with a hammer and a screwdriver before going on a rampage at an elementary school in 2012.
A computer hard drive holds all the information on a computer – information that would be pivotal in determining a motive for the massacre. Paddock killed 58 people and wounded more than 400 in the October 1 shooting
FBI agents were still able to obtain some documents off his computer – including articles ‘advocating for pedophiles’ rights,’ according to documents released this week.
Authorities never found the hard drive or cellphone of Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung Hui. They also ran into the same issue with 2008 Northern Illinois shooter Steven Kazmierczak.
While Paddock’s motives still aren’t clear, investigators have started to get a better understanding of his mental well being in the lead up to the attack.
Several people have commented that Paddock started to smell of alcohol recently. He also was reportedly prescribed the anti-anxiety medication Valium and was taking it at its highest dosage by June 2017.
The side effects of the drug – which include suicidal thoughts and fearlessness – are amplified when mixed with alcohol.
Paddock’s family has a criminal history as well. His father, Benjamin Hoskins Paddock was a notorious bank robber who was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for nearly a decade.
And on Wednesday, Paddock’s younger brother Bruce, about 58, was arrested in North Hollywood, California for child pornography.