The Las Vegas shooter’s home in Reno, Nevada, which he used to to stash arms and ammunition, has been broken into, despite ongoing investigation and watch by the FBI.
At least one person broke into the home. Police say they’re not aware of any theft or damages after the break-in, but wonder how the perpetrator gained entry. It is particularly surprising that someone managed to break into the home which is still being investigated by the FBI.
Stephen Paddock purchased the home in Reno’s Somersett neighborhood in 2013. He lived there with his girfriend, Marilou Danley.
Police confirmed on Tuesday that the Reno house was broken into over the weekend, and police are now highly active in the area after receiving a warning from the FBI to be sure a break in isn’t repeated.
The incident comes a time when investigators were scheduled to revisit the house. After the break-in was discovered, police notified the FBI immediately. The FBI has recently confirmed that investigators would be revisiting Paddock’s properties to “discern additional evidence as a result of that revisit.”
Reno Gazette Journal reports:
Officer Tim Broadway with the Reno Police Department said the suspect or suspects broke into the home through the front door over the weekend, noting he was not sure how exactly the suspects gained entry.
Reno officers arrived on scene and “immediately notified the FBI,” he said. Broadway said the department is working with the FBI to “make sure there are no further incidents.”
Broadway said officers were not aware of anything that was taken or whether there were any damages. There are no suspects at this time.
On Oct. 3, federal and local agencies swarmed Paddock’s Reno home and found five handguns, two shotguns, numerous electronic devices and a “plethora of ammunition,” Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said. Weapons, explosives and electronic devices were also found in Paddock’s Mesquite home.
In a Monday news conference, Lombardo confirmed FBI and behavioral analysis agents were revisiting Paddock’s properties including his home in Reno.
“The question was: Is the FBI along with LVMPD revisiting the personal property of the suspect? Yes, that is accurate along with the behavioral analysis detectives,” Lombardo said answering a reporter’s question. “They are also present and maybe we can discern additional evidence as a result of that revisit.”
Police are unsure if one or multiple perpetrators broke into the home.
The house was first searched two days after the shooting, according the Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo.
Fox News reports:
At least one vandal broke in to Stephen Paddock’s Reno-area home through the building’s front door, though detectives still were unsure if multiple suspects were involved, Officer Tim Broadway of the Reno Police Department told the Reno Gazette-Journal Tuesday.
Broadway said police were not immediately aware of anything taken or any damage done to the retirement community home. The FBI was notified of the breach.
Federal and local authorities stormed the home on Oct. 3, two days after Paddock killed 58 people, firing down on a concert crowd from his hotel suite in Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Officials found five handguns, two shotguns, several electronic devices and a “plethora of ammunition” at the home, Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said.
Obviously, it is important for any investigation to ensure that evidence hasn’t been damaged, removed from, or planted on a scene. A break in is completely unacceptable while the investigation is ongoing.
The break-in is an embarrassment for all parties involved in the investigation of Stephen Paddock as authorities work to determine a motive for Paddock’s killing spree. Who knows if crucial evidence has been tampered with? This could set the investigation back at a time when progress is hard to come by.