As the investigation into the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas continues, a new report has found that the gunman, Stephen Paddock, may have had his eyes set on a different festival—one that Chance the Rapper was headlining—instead of the country festival that he chose to evoke terror upon this past Sunday (Oct. 1)
The shooting, which killed over 50 people and injured hundreds, began from a hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, during which Paddock opened fire on the crowd as they were enjoying the Route 91 Harvest Festival across the street.
According to a new report, Paddock allegedly rented out multiple condos at The Ogden complex in downtown Las Vegas, which overlooked the location of the Life Is Beautiful festival, meaning the event may have been his original intended target. If this were the case, the question as to why he had a change of heart may be among the many questions that will go unanswered, considering he was shot and killed at the scene.
The Las Vegas police shared during a press conference that Paddock allegedly making the earlier hotel reservations is, in fact, part of their investigation but they are not prepared to discuss the matter at this stage.
The Life Is Beautiful festival ran from Sept. 22 to Sept 24, with acts such as Chance the Rapper, Lorde, Blink-182, Muse, The Gorillaz and more all performing.
At the time of this report, the investigation remains ongoing, with the shooter’s motive still unclear.