NPR

Las Vegas Shooter's Life Comes Into Focus, But Not His Motive

Those who knew Stephen Paddock say they can't believe he committed that terrible act. And investigators have yet to identify any sort of grievance that might have motivated his crime.
A broken window is seen at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on Wednesday along the Las Vegas Strip. Investigators still don't understand why the shooter carried out his rampage. / David Becker / Getty Images

Investigators in Las Vegas are sifting through evidence they've gathered from the homes of the man who sprayed a concert crowd with gunfire. They've begun to interview his girlfriend. They've learned quite a bit about Stephen Paddock's past and preparation, but there is still no explanation why he damaged and destroyed so many lives.

Ken Russell is a retired wildlife biologist who lives in the same neighborhood where the Las Vegas shooter lived, in the sunny retirement community of Sun City Mesquite. That the carnage on Sunday night was carried out by someone living there was a shock, he said.

"This is a quiet neighborhood," said Russell on Monday, as he walked among palm trees, cacti, and houses of stucco and tile.

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