Stephen Paddock’s Autopsy: No Answers as to the Las Vegas Shooter’s Motive

The Clark County Coroner’s Office has released autopsy results for Stephen Paddock, the Las Vegas shooter. Paddock killed 58 people and wounded hundreds of others in a mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017. The media and public have been anxiously awaiting the autopsy results in hopes that there would be a medical explanation for his murderous rampage. Read on for the details.

On Friday, February 9, 2018, the Clark County Coroner’s Office released autopsy results on the body of Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock. The results have initially only been released to two media outlets and Paddock’s brother.

Worst Mass Shooting by a Single Gunman in U.S. History

On the night of October 1, 2017, 64-year-old Paddock sprayed gunfire into a crowd of 22,000 people attending a country music concert on the Las Vegas Strip. He fired all his shots from a room on the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

At least fifty-eight people were killed and hundreds more were wounded in the mass shooting, which lasted about 10 minutes.

When SWAT was able to enter Paddock’s room about an hour after the shooting stopped, they found him dead. He appeared to have shot himself in the head, though cause of death had yet to be confirmed until this past Friday. Police found 23 rifles, one handgun, and massive amounts of ammunition in the hotel suite.

Stephen Paddock’s Autopsy Results

It was hoped that Stephen Paddock’s autopsy would reveal some kind of medical condition or other physical reason behind the murderous rampage of a man without a criminal record or history of violence. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case.

According to the autopsy report, Paddock was not inebriated or negatively affected by drugs at the time of the shooting. He was also determined to be relatively healthy.

Paddock was found to have anti-anxiety medication in his system at the time of his death. However, according to the autopsy report, this medication would have had no adverse effect in regards to his decisions and actions.

In terms of his health, he was discovered to be a little overweight, with high blood pressure. In addition, his dental health was poor. His brain was found to have no abnormalities.

Nothing of note—no brain tumor, no unusual medical condition. Nothing physically apparent to explain why he might have suddenly decided to commit mass murder.

His doctor believed that Paddock may have had bipolar disorder. However, no diagnosis was made, as the patient did not want to pursue it. So, instead of antidepressants, Paddock took prescribed anti-anxiety medication. And that’s what the autopsy showed he had in his system.

The autopsy also confirmed that Stephen Paddock’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to his head, which was indeed self-inflicted.

Stephen Paddock’s Motive Still a Mystery

Paddock’s girlfriend and brother both maintain that there was no indication that he would ever commit such violence and they can’t provide any guidance as to motive.

A few details have been released about Paddock that some speculate may be linked to his motivation or mental state. Some examples include:

  • Paddock was an avid gambler who lost a lot of money at Las Vegas casinos
  • He was a germophobe, obsessed with cleanliness
  • He and his girlfriend, Marilou Danley, seemed to be having issues
  • Paddock’s father, Benjamin Hoskins Paddock, was a convicted bank robber and fugitive, apparently diagnosed as psychopathic
  • In the months leading up to the shooting, he was described by those who encountered him as “despondent and smelling of alcohol”

Paddock’s body was cremated and released to his brother in January 2018, though his brain remains at Stanford University School of Medicine. It’s unclear if there’ll be further examination of the brain.