During a tense and at times emotional press conference held this afternoon to update the public on the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Sheriff Joe Lombardo revealed that the gunman deliberately fired on responding police, but said there is no evidence that he was driven by ideology or was affiliated with any group.
As of 8am on Friday, the number of injured victims was 546 but only 45 of them were still hospitalized, some in critical condition. The rest have been discharged.
A visibly shaken Sheriff Lombardo choked up talking about one of the victims, Officer Brady Cook, who he said suffered four gunshot wounds in the mass shooting but asked to return to work this morning.
Shaken: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Joe Lombardo chokes up during Friday’s press conference talking about officers wounded in the October 1 mass shooting
Lombardo broke down after mentioning that officer Brady Cook, who was wounded, asked to return to work Friday morning
According to the sheriff, it is believed that Paddock, 64, intentionally fired upon fuel tanks near McCarran Airport.
‘I have been advised thee is a very low probably that aviation fuel could be ignited by gunfire,’ Lombardo stated.
Seeking to clear up the confusion surrounding the timeline of the events, which has been revised several times since the October 1 massacre, Lombrado said he continues to stand by the latest chronology, according to which the incident began unfolding at 9.59pm on October 1.
MGM Resorts International, which owns the Mandalay Bay, released a statement Thursday questioning that timeline because it suggested that hotel security guard Jesus Campos, who was shot by Paddock, may have waited up to six minutes to report gunfire.
Police say gunman Stephen Paddock (pictured) adjusted his fire to target police vehicles responding to the scene of the mass shooting
Paddock shot Mandalay Bay security guard Jesus Campos at around 10.05pm on the 32nd floor of the hotel, not 9.59pm, as it was suggested earlier
Hotel officials claimed it was no more than 40 seconds between the time Campos used his walkie talkie to call for help and Paddock opening fire from his arsenal of weapons on concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest Festival across the street.
On Friday, the sheriff said he was ‘very well aware of the MGM statement’ and that he was not in conflict with it.
Lombardo sought to clarify the timeline, saying that at 9.59pm, Jesus Campos encountered a barricaded door and had to ascend to another level in order to reach the 32nd floor where Paddock’s room was located.
According to the sheriff, the security guard was shot in the leg ‘closer to 10.05pm,’ at which time he radioed in shots fired and called on his cellphone to report the incident.
Lombardo added that 10.05pm was when ‘the majority of the fire started,’ referring to the shooting targeting the country music festival.
At 10.17pm, 12 minutes later, officers first arrived on the 32nd floor. The sheriff said that firing ‘had ceased’ by that point.
‘There is no conspiracy between the FBI, LVMPD and MGM,’ Lombardo said emphatically.
After conducting hundreds of interviews, reviewing digital media and 1,000 pieces of evidence, Sheriff Lombardo said police and the FBI have found ‘no signs of ideology or affiliation with any groups.’
Sheriff Lombardo said by the time police officers arrived outside Paddock’s hotel room door, at 10.17pm, firing had ceased
The sheriff also said that Paddock’s brain has been sent to a special medical facility, where it will be subjected to microscopic analysis, after a preliminary evaluation revealed no visible abnormalities.
Lombardo wrapped up the news conference without taking any questions from reporters.
‘I’m going to thank you for letting me be your sheriffs, and Vegas strong,’ he said before walking out of the briefing room.