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U.S. NEWS Saturday 20 January 2018

Vegas gunman studied SWAT tactics, music site before attack

By KEN RITTER pain and fatigued, authori-
MIKE BALSAMO ties said. His doctor thought
Associated Press he may have had bipolar
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las disorder but told police
Vegas gunman meticulous- that Paddock refused to
ly planned the worst mass discuss the possibility, the
shooting in modern U.S. report said. The doctor of-
history, researching SWAT fered him antidepressants,
tactics, renting other hotel but Paddock accepted
rooms overlooking outdoor only a prescription for anxi-
concerts and investigat- ety medication. He was
ing potential targets in at fearful of medication and
least four cities, authorities often refused to take it, the
said Friday. But almost four doctor told investigators.
months after Stephen Pad- During an interview with
dock killed 58 people and authorities, Paddock’s girl-
wounded more than 800 friend said he had become
others with a barrage of “distant” in the year before
bullets from the Mandalay the shooting and their rela-
Bay casino-hotel, investiga- tionship was no longer inti-
tors still have not answered mate.
the key question: Why did When they stayed at the Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo discusses the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting during a
he do it? Mandalay Bay together news conference at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarters, Friday, Jan. 19,
Clark County Sheriff Joe in September 2017, Pad- 2018, in Las Vegas. Lombardo released a preliminary report on the investigation of the shooting
Lombardo released a pre- dock acted strangely, she that became the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
liminary report on the Oct. 1 told investigators. She re- (AP Photo/John Locher)
attack and said he did not membered him constantly stakes gambler and real of other potential public phones were found inside
expect criminal charges to looking out the windows estate investor. He had lost targets, including in Chica- his hotel suite. On one of
be filed against Paddock’s overlooking an area where a “significant amount of go, Boston and Santa Mon- the computers, investiga-
girlfriend, Marilou Danley, the concert would be held wealth” since September ica, California, the sheriff tors found hundreds of pho-
who had been called the the next month. He moved 2015, which led to “bouts said. tos of child pornography.
only person of interest in the from window to window to of depression,” the sheriff His research also sought the The same computer was
case. Investigators believe see the site from different has said. But Paddock had number of attendees at used to search for the
Paddock acted alone, and angles, the report said. paid off his gambling debts other concerts in Las Vegas height of the Mandalay
he did not leave a suicide She described him as “ger- before the shooting, ac- and the size of the crowds Bay, how to remove hard
note or manifesto. maphobic” and said he cording to the report. at Santa Monica’s beach. drives from laptops, the
Paddock, who killed him- had strong reactions to Prior to the attack, Pad- Among his searches was location of gun shows in
self before police reached smells. dock’s online searches in- “do police use explosives,” Nevada and information
him, told friends and rela- The 64-year-old retired cluded research into SWAT the report said. about several other Las Ve-
tives that he always felt ill, in accountant was a high- tactics and consideration Four laptops and three cell- gas casinos.q

Prosecutors to seek death penalty in Chinese scholar case

By MICHAEL TARM Court in central Illinois pro- sault. Christensen also once hasn’t been found. penalty in 2011, years after
AP Legal Affairs Writer vides several reasons for expressed his aspiration “to Christensen, who earned then-Gov. George Ryan
CHICAGO (AP) — U.S. pros- why the death penalty is be known as a killer,” the fil- a master’s degree in phys- declared a moratorium on
ecutors will seek the death called for in Brendt Chris- ing says. ics from the University of Illi- executions, citing doubts
penalty for a former physics tensen’s case, including Zhang disappeared June nois, has pleaded not guilty about the guilt of several of
student charged with the because he allegedly tor- 9 on her way to sign an to kidnapping resulting in those on death row. While
kidnapping and killing of tured 26-year-old Yingying apartment lease off cam- death. capital punishment is avail-
a University of Illinois schol- Zhang before killing her. It pus in Urbana, some 140 His trial is scheduled to be- able under federal law,
ar from China, they told a didn’t say how. miles (225 kilometers) south- gin on Feb. 27, though his prosecutors typically seek it
judge in a Friday filing that The new allegation is that west of Chicago. She had attorneys have said pre- in cases involving terrorism
also made a new allega- Christensen “choked and arrived on campus in April viously they would need or multiple deaths.
tion that the 28-year-old sexually assaulted” some- and had just missed a bus more time to prepare, es- A message seeking com-
suspect once choked and one referred to only by the when Christensen lured pecially if the government ment from Christensen’s
sexually assaulted some- initials “M.D.” in 2013 in cen- her into his car, prosecu- intended to seek the death attorney, Robert Tucker,
one else years ago. tral Illinois. He has not been tors say. They say Zhang penalty. wasn’t immediately re-
The filing in U.S. District charged in that alleged as- is dead, though her body Illinois abolished the death turned. q