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Las Vegas shooting: police say gunman’s motive remains a mystery

Investigators have studied Stephen Paddock’s life to find a motive for the fatal shooting.

Investigators have studied Stephen Paddock’s life to find a motive for the fatal shooting. Photo: AAP

Nearly one week after he killed 59 people and wounded many more, Las Vegas police say gunman Stephen Paddock’s motive remains a mystery.

Investigators say they have combed through 1000 leads and a “voluminous amount of video” footage from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino shooting, but to no avail.

“We have looked at everything, literally,” Las Vegas police Undersherrif Kevin McMahill told a press conference on Friday (US time), five days after Mr Paddock opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival on Sunday, killing 59 people, injured 500 more, and killing himself.

“I get it – we all want answers,” Mr McMahill said.

Police have studied Mr Paddock’s computer, political affiliations, behaviours and finances, but Undersheriff McMahill said they had yet to uncover any clear motive for the attacks or any “potential radicalisation”.

“We have been down each and every single one of these paths, trying to determine why,” Mr McMahill said.

“While some of it has helping to create a better profiling to the madness of the suspect, we do not still have a motive or reason why.”

The investigator urged anyone with information about Mr Paddock’s movements or plans to call 1800-CALL-FBI, adding there could be a number of people who had seen something that looked out of place.

High-stakes gambling and prostitutes

Although Mr Paddock’s motive remains a mystery, investigators are uncovering the life of the 64-year-old former accountant, defence auditor and real estate investor, who was a high-stakes professional gambler.

Executive casino host John Weinrich told the ABC Mr Paddock would sit for hours placing bets of $100 or more, rarely interacting with anyone, but always conscious of his surroundings and who was winning.

The host at the Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa in Reno said Mr Paddock had a “God complex” and expected quick service, no matter how busy employees were.

“(Paddock liked) everybody to think that he was the guy. He didn’t boast about anything he had or anything, it was just his demeanour” Mr Weinrich said.

Investigators are interviewing prostitutes after a US official confirmed a woman was seen with Mr Paddock days before the massacre, according to ABC News.

On Friday the official said prostitutes were among the hundreds of leads investigators were pursuing to understand Mr Paddock’s motive.

Girlfriend details signs of mental health issues

FBI investigators questioned Mr Paddock’s Australian girlfriend, Marilou Danley, on Wednesday as a “person of interest”.

The 62-year-old, who described her boyfriend as a “kind, caring, quiet man”, has yet to offer much insight into the planned massacre.

In a statement released by her lawyer, Ms Danley said Mr Paddock gave “no warning” he was planning an attack.

But in a four-hour interview Ms Danley told two former FBI officials her boyfriend displayed signs of mental health issues and would moan and scream, ‘Oh my God’ in his sleep.

“She said he would lie in bed, just moaning and screaming, ‘Oh, my God’,” one of the former FBI officials told NBC News.

An Australian former friend of the couple told A Current Affair Mr Paddock had a “gun room” at his house and spoke condescendingly to his girlfriend.

Adam Le Fevre insisted Ms Danley didn’t know anything about her partner’s mass murder plans.

“I believe if she had the slightest inkling something was not right, she would have shared with her family and would have potentially been able to make a change,” Mr Le Fevre said.

The former friend, who dated Ms Danley’s sister, Liza Werner, said Ms Danley often “seemed very nervous and jittery” around Mr Paddock.

“He would talk to her in a condescending way, and while I was concerned I thought it was part of his nature,” Mr Le Fevre said.

Cryptic note left in hotel room

Police are also analysing a note Mr Paddock left on a table in his 32nd floor casino hotel suite, but its exact contents have yet to be revealed.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said the note contained numbers that were being analysed for their relevance and clarified the message was not a manifesto or suicide note.

-With ABC/AAP

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