Las Vegas shooting – Chilling pics reveal assault rifles inside gunman’s hotel room surrounded by dozens of bullets
CHILLING pictures have revealed the arsenal of weapons and ammo found inside the Las Vegas gun maniac’s hotel room.
Two military assault rifles, a hammer and hundreds of bullets were pictured on the floor of Stephen Paddock’s lair on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel.
He smuggled a cache of 23 weapons into the hotel, including AK-47s and “bump stock” devices to make his guns fully automatic.
The mass murderer, 64, is understood to have smashed the window of his hotel room with a hammer, giving himself a deadly sniper position.
New video shows an assault rifle resting on a stand seen through the smashed open door of the hotel room, which is criss-crossed by yellow crime-scene tape.
Paddock used tripods to steady his weapons so he could unleash a hail of bullets onto the Route 91 music festival, killing 59 and wounding more than 500 others.
Others guns were modified with "bump stocks" to make them fully automatic so he could spray 800 rounds every minute.
Two Nevada gun shops have confirmed that they sold firearms to Paddock in the last year and said he passed all required background checks.
1) Four DDM4 rifles:
The LA Times reports that four high-performance Daniel Defense rifles were found in his hotel room.
They feature a muzzle flash suppressor, making it more difficult to tell where the weapon is being fired from.
“The DDM4 300S was designed for those demanding a high-performance, short-barrel rifle chambered in the versatile 300 Blackout cartridge,” the website states.
They cost (1,433) $1,900 if bought new.
2) One Colt AR-15:
This semi-automatic rifle is gaining a reputation as the weapon of choice for mass shooters from San Bernardino terrorist Omar Mateen to Sandy Hook killer Adam Lanza.
It was designed to create what one of its designers called "maximum wound effect".
Its tiny bullets – needle-nosed and weighing less than four grams – travel nearly three times the speed of sound.
They cost around £670 ($900).
3) Three FN-15 rifles:
Paddock is understood to have wielded three semi-automatic FN15 rifles during the massacre.
“Combining rock-solid reliability with pinpoint accuracy and battle-hardened durability, the FN 15 Rifle is ready for the firing line,” its website states.
They feature a muzzle flash suppressor and 'H buffer system', which reduces recoil and increases accuracy.
These guns range in price up to £1,500 ($2,000) if bought new.
4) At least one AK-47:
The Russian assault rifle, also known as the Kalashnikov, has become the go-to rifle for jihadis, rebels and warlords the world over.
They are easily accessible and can be bought for as little as £450 ($600).
Paddock is understood to have used a stand to steady the gun and improve accuracy.
5) Two 'bump stocks':
Paddock used two "bump-stocks" that could have converted semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic ones, officials said.
They fit over the stock of a semi-auto rifle, and function by allowing the weapon to 'bump' back and forth as it is fired using the weapon's recoil.
The devices have attracted scrutiny in recent years from authorities.
California Senator Dianne Feinstein has long campaigned against them, saying she was concerned about the technology.
"This replacement shoulder stock turns a semi-automatic rifle into a weapon that can fire at a rate of 400 to 800 rounds per minute," she said.
A semi-automatic weapon requires one trigger pull for each round fired.
With a fully automatic firearm, one trigger pull can unleash continuous rounds until the magazine is empty.
The purchasing of fully automatic weapons has been significantly restricted in the U.S. since the 1930s.
"Bump stocks" can be bought for just £30 ($40).
6) Hammer
The 64-year-old reportedly used a "hammer-like object" to break two windows in his Mandalay Bay hotel room before raining bullets down on revellers.
7) Explosive chemicals
Cops said Paddock had a supply of ammonium nitrate – a fertiliser compound that can be used in explosives – in his car.
That substance was used in the 1995 truck bombing that killed 168 people in Oklahoma City.
8) Handgun
The Washington Post reported that cops found at least one handgun in the hotel room.
Photographs have now revealed the view that Paddock would have had of the 22,000 concert-goers below him as he unleashed a deadly hail of bullets.
Officers could be heard whispering before using explosives to storm into the hotel room 32135, on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay resort, to find the man's body as well as an arsenal of weapons.
Some of the weapons discovered in Paddock's hotel room had scopes, making it easier for him to target the concertgoers from long range.
Paddock is believed to have killed himself in his suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel as police closed in on his position.
Sheriff of Clark County, Joe Lombardo revealed that even more deadly equipment was found at the killer’s home.
He told reporters: "We retrieved in excess of 18 additional firearms, some explosives and several thousand rounds of ammo along with some electronic items we are evaluating.”
Christopher Sullivan – a gun shop manager from Mesquite, Nevada, where Paddock lived – said shooter bought a handgun and two rifles within the last year.
The shop, Guns and Guitars, has since issued a statement insisting the killer never seemed “unstable or unfit” and that all the necessary background checks were done.
Sullivan said: "We mourn for this tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the lost and injured.
"Mr. Paddock was a customer and purchased firearms from our store; however, all necessary background checks and procedures were followed, as required by local, state and federal law.
"He never gave any indication or reason to believe he was unstable or unfit at any time. We are currently cooperating with the ongoing investigation by local and federal law enforcement in any way we can."
The company also offered “thoughts and prayers” to victims of the tragedy.
In audio released to US media, SWAT teams could be heard speaking to each other before bursting into the room to stop the shooter, saying they needed everyone in the hallway to move back.
One officer can be heard saying: "We need to pop this and see if we get any further response from this guy to see if he's in here or if he's actually moved somewhere else."
An "explosive breach" can then be heard.
Paddock's body was found in the room, with the shooter believed to have taken his own life.
Police are now desperately trying to figure out what motivated Paddock to target the thousands of innocent festival-goers.
Police have revealed at least 59 people were killed in the attack, making it the worst in America's modern history.
At least 515 people were injured after bullets echoed across the Route 91 country music festival.
IS claimed responsibility for the attack — saying the gunman was a recent convert to Islam.
But cops and the FBI said there was no evidence to support this.
An Australian man said his room was next-door to the shooter. He described the massacre was one of the most terrifying moments of his life.
He told : "There were people screaming and running. We ran into a nearby hallway and ended up in the casino's kitchen.
"We could just hear bullets being fired and then we could see the bright lights of helicopters flying over the top of us."
He said he saw SWAT teams descend on the hotel, saying: "They were in the full police gear and we could just see torches, and guns and they were yelling at everybody to 'stay down' or 'put their hands up'."
He said he was glad he hadn't made it back to his room, which was 32134.
Paddock had been staying in the room since September 28, with police saying he had used Marilou Danley's identification.
He did not check into the room with the 62-year-old woman, who police have revealed is overseas.
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Luxury lair of gun fiend
PADDOCK checked into his corner suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel last Thursday.
It is thought he stayed in a large room — possibly a £500-a-night media suite.
These come complete with 2,170 square feet of space, including a large sitting room, separate bedroom and two bathrooms. They also boast a 65in plasma TV and state-of-the-art surround sound system.
According to the Mandalay website, these suites have been “perfectly remodelled for inspired relaxation and entertainment”.
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