Las Vegas Shooting Investigators Find Gunman Stephen Paddock's Disturbing Internet History

[edpc]

Much of the motivation and thinking of the Las Vegas gunman remains entirely mysterious. But more and more is emerging about how Stephen Paddock prepared for his attack, the most deadly shooting in modern history.

Investigators have revealed what the killer was searching for in the days before the attack. And it offers an insight into the mind of the man who would go on to kill 58 people in his attack.

Paddock's search history shows him looking for precise details about how Las Vegas police and SWAT would break into a shooter's room, an anonymous investigator told the Wall Street Journal.
 
The discovery came just as it was reported that investigators had also found chilling details about Paddock's computer.

Investigators suspect gunman removed the hard drive from the laptop after opened fire from his high-rise suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino into a crowd at a country music concert, killing 58 people and wounded hundreds of others, an official told the Associated Press.
 
The hard drive hasn't been found, according to the official, and the absence of digital clues adds yet another puzzling aspect to the investigation as authorities try to figure out what might've led the 64-year-old high-stakes gambler to commit the mass killing.


https://www.yahoo.com/news/las-vegas-shooting-investigators-gunman-152000772.html

[Smokin Joe]

Looking at this part:

Investigators have revealed what the killer was searching for in the days before the attack. And it offers an insight into the mind of the man who would go on to kill 58 people in his attack.

Paddock's search history shows him looking for precise details about how Las Vegas police and SWAT would break into a shooter's room, an anonymous investigator told the Wall Street Journal.

Okay, I'm gonna ask a question. How would they know his search history if the hard drive was gone?

Wouldn't all those files be on the Hard drive?

It seems to me, and correct me if I am wrong, please, that the only other way would be to be already monitoring his activity on the web, which would mean they were already watching the guy for whatever reason, whether part of an investigation or part of a sting, and monitoring his web activity.

Either way, if the shooter was being monitored, someone should have had some sort of idea of what he was up to?

[Neverdul]

Looking at this part:
Okay, I'm gonna ask a question. How would they know his search history if the hard drive was gone?

Wouldn't all those files be on the Hard drive?

It seems to me, and correct me if I am wrong, please, that the only other way would be to be already monitoring his activity on the web, which would mean they were already watching the guy for whatever reason, whether part of an investigation or part of a sting, and monitoring his web activity.

Either way, if the shooter was being monitored, someone should have had some sort of idea of what he was up to?

If I am not mistaken, they wouldn't have necessarily needed to have been monitoring his web surfing in real time or have a physical hard drive to look for cashed web browsing history. They more likely got the information from his ISP or if he was using a WIFI at say the Mandalay Bay, their ISP or even from whatever web browser he was using such as Google.

[Smokin Joe]

If I am not mistaken, they wouldn't have necessarily needed to have been monitoring his web surfing in real time or have a physical hard drive to look for cashed web browsing history. They more likely got the information from his ISP or if he was using a WIFI at say the Mandalay Bay, their ISP or even from whatever web browser he was using such as Google.

Thanks. I really didn't know and figured they'd need his computer. They should be able to find out where any video going out went, too, then.

[edpc]

Looking at this part:
Okay, I'm gonna ask a question. How would they know his search history if the hard drive was gone?

Wouldn't all those files be on the Hard drive?

It seems to me, and correct me if I am wrong, please, that the only other way would be to be already monitoring his activity on the web, which would mean they were already watching the guy for whatever reason, whether part of an investigation or part of a sting, and monitoring his web activity.

Either way, if the shooter was being monitored, someone should have had some sort of idea of what he was up to?

I’m guessing they could check his home ISP or the hotel network, if he used it.  Most places use your last name and room number as the wifi access code. 

[austingirl]

I wonder where these little tidbits are coming from? We seem to be getting a little bit every day, Jesus in Mexico, hard drive missing, now internet search info. Still no official presser. FBI has to be running most of the investigation and they are saying LVMPD is the agency responsible for communication to the media. Nice.

[ABX]

Looking at this part:
Okay, I'm gonna ask a question. How would they know his search history if the hard drive was gone?

Wouldn't all those files be on the Hard drive?

It seems to me, and correct me if I am wrong, please, that the only other way would be to be already monitoring his activity on the web, which would mean they were already watching the guy for whatever reason, whether part of an investigation or part of a sting, and monitoring his web activity.

Either way, if the shooter was being monitored, someone should have had some sort of idea of what he was up to?

You can get information on the computer's unique identifier w/ out the hard drive. That identifier is tied to API data that can be traced all over the internet. Not to mention, activity based on whatever internet service provider he was using can directly gain access to. No one who whoever steps foot in the internet is really anonymous, no matter how hard they try.

[Victoria33]

Looking at this part:
Okay, I'm gonna ask a question. How would they know his search history if the hard drive was gone?  Wouldn't all those files be on the Hard drive? It seems to me, and correct me if I am wrong, please, that the only other way would be to be already monitoring his activity on the web, which would mean they were already watching the guy for whatever reason, whether part of an investigation or part of a sting, and monitoring his web activity.  Either way, if the shooter was being monitored, someone should have had some sort of idea of what he was up to?

@Smokin Joe

You are speaking of ONE computer - I have FOUR.  He had plenty of money to have other computers.  Did he have more than one, that is the question.

[Frank Cannon]

First off I do not see what the fascination is with why this jackass did this. It happened, it's done. Some things are never explained. Secondly there is something in the article I do find fascinating......

On Wednesday, authorities also estimated that the costs of police, fire and other emergency services related to the massacre were projected at about $4 million and climbing.

$4 million? When you factor in that most of these "First Responders" had already punched a time clock hours before the shooting and were waiting for something to do, peoples health insurance policies are being billed for ambulance and hospital care and the Feds are involved already with this investigation, just where sis this $4 million go?

I would love to see an actual accounting for this. My guess is that whenever there is a disaster or crises the locals jump into action to offset their history of poor financial decisions with pleas for federal money, but if anyone should be on the hook for this it should be the hotel.

[roamer_1]

$4 million? When you factor in that most of these "First Responders" had already punched a time clock hours before the shooting and were waiting for something to do, peoples health insurance policies are being billed for ambulance and hospital care and the Feds are involved already with this investigation, just where sis this $4 million go?

I would love to see an actual accounting for this. My guess is that whenever there is a disaster or crises the locals jump into action to offset their history of poor financial decisions with pleas for federal money, but if anyone should be on the hook for this it should be the hotel.

From the Article:
The disclosure came amid pledges by the federal government to provide $1 million, and from the state of Nevada to pay $600,000 to defray costs stemming from the Oct. 1 shooting.

Las Vegas police Officer Laura Meltzer provided what she called a preliminary figure of $3.5 million for department costs associated with the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

"We still have a lot of resources devoted to the investigation," Meltzer said. "We still have people working overtime and around the clock on it."

The amount spent on overtime to date amounts to more than half a percent of the annual Las Vegas police budget.

Clark County administrators on Tuesday estimated fire department, coroner and social services costs at between $300,000 and $500,000, county spokesman Erik Pappa said.

"Over the long term, we expect it will be in the millions," he said.

Pappa noted that a facility dubbed the "The Vegas Strong Resiliency Center" opened Monday to serve as a one-stop resource for references and referrals for residents, visitors and responders affected by the shooting. He said it is expected to remain open for several years

Maybe they had got to buy a new building... 

[Smokin Joe]

@Smokin Joe

You are speaking of ONE computer - I have FOUR.  He had plenty of money to have other computers.  Did he have more than one, that is the question.

There is that, and i don't know how many I have around here from the old TI in the basement to the one I am using and one I haven't set up yet. Likely he had a few.

But, in this instance, I am presuming this laptop is the only one he had in the motel room, and that he was using it to stream video, possibly off site. If that video was going elsewhere, that might be 'proof' he was committing the crime, but provided to someone else for some other reason, which might shed light on any motive.

So little info, and much of that sketchy information trickled out in drips and dabs....