Las Vegas Mass Shooter Reportedly Booked Hotel Rooms During Lollapalooza
By aaroncynic in News on Oct 5, 2017 2:19PM
LAS VEGAS, OCT. 3: A window is broken on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino where a gunman opened fire on a concert crowd on Sunday night, Oct. 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the hotel on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Update, 11:30 a.m.:
A representative for Blackstone confirmed to Chicagoist that "a reservation was made under the name Stephen Paddock, however authorities have not confirmed that this is the same person as the Las Vegas shooter."
The spokesperson said, "[T]here was no guest under the name Stephen Paddock who stayed at our hotel in August during the Lollapalooza music festival. We are cooperating with the authorities on this matter."
Original:
Las Vegas mass shooter Stephen Paddock reportedly booked two hotel rooms at the Blackstone Hotel in the Loop during Lollapalooza, according to a report from TMZ.
Unnamed sources told the outlet that the Paddock allegedly booked two rooms, one on Aug. 1—two days before Lolla’s Aug. 3 kickoff—and a second room for an arrival on that date. Both rooms had a checkout date of Aug. 6, the end date of the festival.
The Blackstone, one of Chicago’s historic hotels built between 1908 and 1910, overlooks Grant Park, including the area of the main entrace to the festival along with several stages. TMZ’s sources said that Paddock allegedly requested both his rooms be a "view rooms" that face the park. Some 400,000 people attended this year’s Lollapalooza.
Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi did not confirm the report, but tweeted that the department was aware of it and communicating with federal law enforcement partners.
“We are aware of the media reports and have been in communication with our federal partners,” Guglielmi tweeted. “As you saw earlier this week the city conducts extensive public safety planning and training around major events, in close coordination with our law enforcement partners, to ensure public safety.”
We are aware of recent media reports concerning Chicago and the Blackstone hotel. Statement below: pic.twitter.com/IuI3otUYgc
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) October 5, 2017
To back up its source’s claim, TMZ released an image showing Paddock’s name and the booking dates. However, the image contains nothing to confirm it came from the hotel.
The FBI directed Chicagoist's calls for comment to the Las Vegas metro police, and representatives from the Blackstone and Lollapalooza have yet to reply.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said earlier this week that the City has conducted six drills to prepare for an attack like the one that occurred in Las Vegas.
"The city is prepared," Emanuel said on Monday, according to DNAinfo. He added that the city has "upped its game considerably" since the bombing of the Boston Marathon in 2013, and that security measures at large events would be enhanced in the wake of Las Vegas.
Other reports showing that Paddock may have been planning on other attacks have also been circulating. For example, on Wednesday evening Las Vegas police said it was possible that Paddock had targeted a different Vegas music fest earlier this year, where Chance the Rapper performed.