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By Robert A. Vella

The gunman who perpetrated the worst mass shooting in recent history on U.S. soil at a Las Vegas country music festival yesterday had no apparent motive.  At least 58 people were killed and over 500 were wounded in the latest of a series of such incidents which have plagued the nation over the past few decades.  The shooter, Stephen Paddock, apparently committed suicide before police broke into his 32nd floor hotel room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.  Ten firearms were found with the body including rifles.

Paddock was a resident of Mesquite, Nevada, about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas.  So far, little is known about this man other than he was a property owner, had worked in the defense industry, and reportedly was a high-stakes gambler.

From:  Las Vegas Gun Laws: Open Carry, Machine Guns Legal

Nevada has some of the most-relaxed gun laws in the country, a legislative condition that is sure to come under renewed scrutiny in the wake of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history on Sunday night in Las Vegas.

Nevada law does not require firearms owners to have licenses, register their weapons, or limits the number of firearms an individual posses. Automatic assault weapons and machine guns are also legal in the state as long as they are registered and are possessed in adherence to federal law, according to the National Rifle Association.

Nevada does not prohibit the transfer or possession of assault weapons, 50 caliber rifles or large capacity ammunition magazines. Local law enforcement issues concealed handgun licenses. Open carry is legal without a permit.

Anti-gun activists did score a narrow victory last year by passing Question 1, a resolution calling for background checks through a licensed gun dealer for all sales in the state, even private and online sales.

21 thoughts on “No apparent motive in Las Vegas mass shooting”

  1. I hate to say it, but “Nothing will change.” Second Amendment supporters will continue to shout the loudest and will, inevitably, drown out any sensible modifications to existing laws.

    Liked by 2 people

  2. There is something weighty about being the largest, as in the largest mass shooting in the United States. If the weight of this horrific event does not outlaw assault weapons all across America, I don’t know what will.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. As I was briefly discussing this incident — another out of hundreds it seems — with family and locals (Texas :/ ), I refused to go into any related subject other than mental-health and society’s severe lack of education about it, recognition of it, and most critically how to address it with anyone who show no signs (initially) of violence, homicide, or suicide. Law-enforcement MUST be more highly trained in even crisis management with psychologically disturbed violent, homicidal-suicidal citizens. When the families, PUBLIC, and first-responders know how to properly identify people like this BEFORE they turn violent, these fatal incidents will decrease. At least 1 or 2 more lives (or more!) can be saved.

    I’ve repeated this a thousand times over the last 20-30 years, on various blogs too, and until the general public, families, law-enforcement, and our government officials get better educated and trained, like Nan has stated, nothing much is going to change — not even the necessary gun-licensing or purchasing laws… or lack thereof. 😦

    Liked by 1 person

    • Professor, that is a salient point which even Republicans in Congress can support. From my perspective, the rise of mental health issues in America appear to inversely mirror the decline of civil society. If this correlation is true, the next question is “why?”

      My focus as a blogger is to uncover root causes. Awareness and identification of mental health problems is indeed imperative. However, if we don’t also understand and address what’s causing it, mental illness will become societally chronic; and, it might be that bad already.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Oh! And forgot to mention what I frustratingly (and half-jokingly) responded to people here that always say the same things over and over, ad infinitum…

    If fanatical foreign terrorists like ISIS were smart, they’d just sit back for a decade or two while Americans mass-murder other Americans, like Stephen Paddock & a long, long, LONG list of past mentally-disturbed Americans, OR keep handing over/selling automatic assault weapons to Americans and let Americans continue to die and kill each other.

    Sorry. Morbid, but I hope my point sinks in. :/

    Liked by 1 person

    • Look on the bright side: Congress is about to pass a law today that will make silencers legal. So, the next time a wacko nut-bar decides to kill dozens of people, he can do it in silence. That way, fewer people will be annoyed by the noise. We live in a country of idiots and pussies who are too fucking weak and afraid to get involved enough to change things.

      Liked by 2 people

      • For the sake of argument/devil’s advocate…

        True. ISIS have just unwittingly kept attacking many democratic Western nations repeatedly, bringing numerous united counter-forces upon themselves, greatly reducing their success rates. Any experienced, smart military commanders know it is asinine to allow your ‘enemies’ to join forces as one against you. That’s stupidity. Why bring the majority of the wealthy nation’s forces against you when you can typically single out 1 or 2, keeping the free-world (for a period of manageable time) disunited against you or better yet, indifferent or neutral?

        Then again, we all know what education levels ISIS recruits come from, huh?

        Liked by 1 person

  6. It’s sad that the first amendment isn’t defended nearly as passionately as the second amendment.

    Paddock may have “had no apparent motive” but he was an angry white man in his sixties who collected firearms. It isn’t too difficult to guess his political leanings.

    I often feel that the indoctrination process put in place by corporate rulers is too powerful for most people to break. I don’t think we are going to learn enough to evolve into a civilized society before we make the planet uninhabitable for humans.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Paddock may have “had no apparent motive” but he was an angry white man in his sixties who collected firearms. It isn’t too difficult to guess his political leanings.

      Very good point Ashift. And easily enough you JUST POINTED OUT one of the earliest signs/symptoms of a mentally-ill or disturbed person: i.e. obsessed with weapons. What is the purpose of a weapon or weapons? What is the background (even childhood!) of the weapon(s) or arsenal owner? What are the weapon(s)/arsenal owner’s social affiliations? How much time (of life) does the owner spend “playing with” their weapons compared to other activities/relationships?

      These FOUR simple basic questions from a professional psychologist, specializing in anger management/crisis, will tell them a shitload about the person’s mental state and quite easily lead to or uncover OTHER possible/necessary avenues of closer examination! I can never emphasize or reiterate enough to people how EASY and REVEALING this sorts of questions or observations are to conduct by friends and family members! Simple, simple, simple, and did I say… how simple!!!!!? 😨

      Liked by 1 person

  7. The NRA and weapons manufacturers will not allow discussion of this important topic – never mind addressing it with common sense legislation that would save lives and reduce suffering.

    The rulers who control our government are content to go along with this because it keeps us divided and misdirected (preventing an effective answer to their despicable actions) and increases anger and frustration which is good for business. We consume to deal with our frustration instead of facing it. It’s similar to our sickness care industry: we treat instead of curing.

    P.S. And, of course, they are well paid by professional lobbyists to ignore the issue.

    Liked by 1 person

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