Fringe Claims That Shooter Stephen Paddock May Have Been an FBI Agent
Was Stephen Paddock an FBI agent? That’s what some of the more imaginative members of the Internet investigative squad are claiming. But is it possible? We explore the question based on the current evidence at hand.
But, before we do, it’s important to understand the nuances behind such theories. They mainly stem from numerous inconsistencies in messaging between the FBI and the local police assigned to the case.
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For example, about a week-and-a-half ago, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo raised the possibility that the FBI’s quick assertion that the massacre was not terrorism-related was incorrect. “…did this person get radicalized unbeknownst to us? And we want to identify that source,” said Lombardo. (Source: “Sheriff: Did Las Vegas Shooter Get Radicalized?,” Townhall, October 4, 2017.)
Another factor is the shifting timeline of critical events in the days after the shooting. A few days ago, authorities revealed that security guard Jesus Campos was shot six minutes before the mass shooting took place, instead of after it. With such incompetence displayed in establishing a timeline, it’s hard to put trust in other information that authorities have been feeding us.
The plot just doesn’t seem to make any sense. Authorities tell us that Paddock earned a living as a professional video poker player. He was an acknowledged regular on the Vegas strip. If, somehow he became “disgruntled” after some big losses or some other gambling-related grievance, why would Paddock vent his frustration on innocent country music fans? Wouldn’t shooting targeting casino staff or management (similar to a workplace shooting) make more sense?
Lastly, the plot regarding security guard “hero” Jesus Campos keeps getting more bizarre. He abruptly stood-up a high-profile interview scheduled with Fox News host Sean Hannity, then went into hiding. When local investigators went searching for Campos at his house, his family tried to misdirect and claimed they couldn’t talk about it (Campos). It appears as if the Campos family is under a gag order.
.@LauraLoomer visits home of #LasVegasShooting "hero" #JesusCampos after media told he is MIA. Family says "can't talk"/ Gag order? pic.twitter.com/j6gq6lIISy
— TruNews™ (@TruNews) October 13, 2017
Unfortunately, it appears that some level of misdirection is coming from authorities. The timelines keep shifting, the motive is a complete mystery, inconsistencies are everywhere. There’s a palpable sense we’re either not being told everything, or that authorities know nothing. Both scenarios don’t inspire any confidence that anything is as it appears.
The drip-feed nature of information release isn’t exactly a shining beacon of transparency.
Was Las Vegas Shooter an FBI Agent?
Some people believe it’s possible that the shooter was an FBI agent. The evidence is scant and deeply circumstantial, but a somewhat-coherent argument can be made. For example, recent Stephen Paddock news indicates that he had access to Mandalay Bay hotel/casino’s service elevator, using it in the days leading up to the shooting.
The only problem is, taking the service elevator is not standard practice in Las Vegas. How do we know this? Legendary casino mogul and CEO of Wynn Resorts Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) tells us so.
Skip ahead to the 7:15-minute mark for the salient point in the video:
“Nobody in this company’s history, no public person, has ever walked in the service elevator unless they were accompanied by security,” said Steve Wynn, the owner of Steve Wynn Resort and Casino.
Assuming security protocol among big Las Vegas casinos is largely identical (which it is), why was Stephen Paddock allowed to use the service elevator?
Also, given that the service elevator was likely the conduit for Paddock’s huge gun cache, how was he able to shuttle in a cache of arms undetected? Was it an inside job or massive oversight by casino security forces (many of whom are former military and/or special forces agents)? You decide.
There’s also the fact that Wynn described Paddock as “a modest gambler, at least by our standards.” Assuming that Paddock was a modest gambler (as opposed to a high roller) at the Mandalay Bay, again, why would he have access to the service elevator? It wasn’t like Paddock was dropping serious cash, at least not compared to other suckers on the Vegas strip.
Another piece of information stoking more questions about Paddock: he wasn’t a known gun fanatic. In an interview conducted shortly after the shooting, Eric Paddock (Stephen’s brother), described him as “not an avid gun guy at all.” (Source: “Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock was ‘not an avid gun guy at all,’ brother says,” New York Daily News, October 2, 2017.)
Granted, the two brothers weren’t particularly close. But you’d figure that if Stephen Paddock was truly a gun enthusiast, his own family would know something about it.
Assuming that Eric Paddock’s assertions are correct, is it more believable that a 64-year-old man, with questionable gun credentials, pulls off the worst mass murder in U.S. history? Or is it more believable that Paddock had major assistance from some yet unknown organization?
When we consider the following,
- Paddock was able to smuggle 20-plus guns into a highly secure area,
- Paddock was somehow granted the service elevator on multiple occasions, and
- Paddock’s chronic gambling could have been a front for money laundering,
the answer is not as obvious as it appears.
Our Verdict
With all this being said, the circumstantial evidence described above is still just that, circumstantial. Just because the storyline is bizarre and inconsistent doesn’t make it untrue. It could be that investigators simply haven’t pieced everything together yet, or that Stephen Paddock really did just “snap.”
For instance, perhaps indiscriminate violence simply runs in the Paddock bloodlines. Patrick Benjamin Paddock (Stephen’s father), made his own appearance on the FBI’s most wanted list in 1969. At the time, an FBI poster said he was “diagnosed as psychopathic, has carried firearms in commission of bank robberies…” and that he “has suicidal tendencies and should be considered armed and very dangerous.” (Source: “Stephen Paddock’s father was on FBI’s 10 most wanted list,” Independent, October 2, 2017.)
Without knowing more facts, psychotic violence seems as good as any as the reason for the shooting. Unfortunately, drawing any conclusions about motivations at this point is just speculation. It could be anything from religious conversion, to psychological problems, to some Deep State operation gone wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time this happened in America.
As such, our answer to the question “Was Las Vegas Shooter Stephen Paddock an FBI Agent?” is “Unlikely.” The FBI agent narrative is just one of many possible conclusions. Being that multiple theories exist, I wouldn’t put more credence in that theory over the others necessarily. It’s simply one distinct possibility.
Unfortunately, Stephen Paddock conspiracy theories will continue to fester until these, and many other questions, get clear answers. As such, don’t expect the Las Vegas shooting investigation to have a clear resolution any time soon.
