Paddock was alone in Mandalay Bay suite during gunfire
LAS VEGAS — StephenPaddock was the only person in the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino rooms 32-134 and 32-135 during the time the gunfire was reigning down into the Route 91 Music Festival, according to the body-camera footage.
After the gunfire stopped no one left either room.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Force Investigation Team (FIT) Preliminary Investigative Report photographs showed the entry door to room 32-135. One photograph indicated that the deadbolt was engaged while the other photograph showed the deadbolt disengaged. Because of that, at first, I could not reach a conclusion in my previous story as to which one depicted the correct position of the deadbolt when the door was explosively breached by the police at 11:20 p.m. on October 1. But after re-examing the footage, I am certain Paddock was the only one in that room.
The FIT report indicated that according to lock interrogation reports, on October 1 the deadbolt to room 32-135 was engaged at 9:36 p.m. and the deadbolt to room 32-134 was engaged at 9:46 p.m.
Paddock started firing at about 10:05 p.m.
The question that has been out whether Paddock acted alone in the room during the shooting spree and could someone have exited the room after the shooting stopped at 10:15 p.m. and prior to the police breaching the door over one hour later at 11:20 p.m.
As I previously stated, I zoomed in on the door lock to room 32-134 from the photograph attached to the FIT report and there is no doubt that the deadbolt knob on that door is turned to the right which would indicate that the deadbolt was engaged.
Because the lock interrogation reports for both doors have not been released to the public yet, I re-examined the body-worn camera video footage that was released when the police breached Paddock’s suite at 11:20 p.m. on October 1 for any indication of the position of the deadbolt on the room door to 32-135 immediately after the explosive breach.
As you can see in the attached photo from the footage, the deadbolt on the door is engaged, meaning the deadbolt is in the out position.
A hotel guest must manually turn the deadbolt knob to engage the deadbolt and this can only be done by the guest from inside the room. A guest cannot activate the deadbolt from the outside.
The deadbolts to both doors were engaged when the police made entry at 11:20 p.m.
Nobody could have left either room 32-134 or 32-135 since both deadbolts were still engaged on both doors.
Stephen Paddock was found dead inside the room when the police breached the door.
Paddock was the only person inside those rooms after the deadbolts were engaged at 9:36 p.m. and 9:46 p.m., during the time of the gunfire and after the gunfire stopped.
Without any doubt, Paddock was the lone shooter inside Mandalay Bay rooms 32-134 and 32-135.
When the lock interrogation reports are released, I firmly believe they will indicate that once the deadbolts were engaged they remained so throughout and up to the time the room was breached.
Doug authored over 135 articles on the October 1, 2017, Las Vegas Massacre, more than any other single journalist in the country. He investigates stories on corruption, law enforcement, and crime. Doug is a US Army Military Police Veteran, former police officer, deputy sheriff, and criminal investigator. Doug spent 20 years in the hotel/casino industry as an investigator and then as Director of Security and Surveillance. He also spent a short time with the US Dept. of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration. In 1986 Doug was awarded Criminal Investigator of the Year by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia for his undercover work in narcotics enforcement. In 1991 and 1992 Doug testified in court that a sheriff’s office official and the county prosecutor withheld exculpatory evidence during the 1988 trial of a man accused of the attempted murder of his wife. Doug’s testimony led to a judge’s decision to order the release of the man from prison in 1992 and awarded him a new trial, in which he was later acquitted. As a result of Doug breaking the police “blue wall of silence,” he was fired by the county sheriff. His story was featured on Inside Edition, Current Affair and CBS News’ “Street Stories with Ed Bradley”. In 1992 after losing his job, at the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Doug infiltrated a group of men who were plotting the kidnapping of a Dupont fortune heir and his wife. Doug has been a guest on national television and radio programs speaking on the stories he now writes as an investigative journalist. Catch Doug’s Podcast: @dougpoppa1
“As you can see in the attached photo from the footage”. I cannot see a photo attached. Just the video.
Photo at the top of the story shows door immediately after explosive breach. The deadbolt is in the open, engaged, position.
I found it interesting that what I assume to be another police officer asked about the gunshots that were heard in the room that he responded by saying “there was explosive breach”. Not only could you hear the gunshots, if you look closely you can see the flash towards the back of the frame and the LVMPD have already admitted to the “accidental” friendly fire. There was also evidence in the room where the gun was fired. In another video you can hear someone yell “what the f–k” followed by gunshots. This occurred right after they breached the second room. Also, while watching the police officer in the window to the right I noticed some type of light or flash. Not sure if it was something he was holding or a reflection in the window but thought it was worth mentioning. He seemed to spend a decent amount of time looking out that window which also seems a little odd.
The burst of gunfire occured during the time of the second breach into the adjoining room door to 32-134. It is evidently clear on the body worn camera audio. You can hear the burst of gunfire as the explosion is heard. I heard that the door hit the SWAT officer on his arm which caused the accidental discharge. When the officer is looking out the window, Metro Air 5 helicopter was hovering outside. There was a SWAT sniper inside the chopper. You can hear on the BWC audio they are talking to him. His first name is Jaire. No mystery there but good observations on your part.