Big Change in the Las Vegas Shooting Timeline

Previously, the reported timeline was the security guard, Jesus Campos, was shot and wounded in the leg, by the Las Vegas mass murderer at about 10:17- 10:19, 10 minutes *after* he started shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival attendees.

In the revised time-line, authorities are saying Campos was shot and wounded in the leg at 9:59 p.m., as he approached the door of suite 135, on the 32nd floor. *before* the shooting on the crowd started.

There are many changes in possible scenarios that come with this revelation, and many questions.

The security guard is reported as responding to a "door ajar" alarm on another room.  why was he shot? Sheriff Lombardo says Campos reported the shooting immediately, but the police did not know about it until they discovered him on the 32nd floor, wounded, about 18 minutes later.  From abcnews.go.com:

On Monday, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo announced a change to the sequence of events that occurred on Oct. 1, saying a security guard who encountered Paddock was actually shot at 9:59 p.m. local time, minutes before the 64-year-old unleashed a hail of gunfire on unsuspecting concertgoers.

Previously, authorities had said that the security guard, Jesus Campos, was shot after Paddock had opened fire on the crowd below.

Lombardo said Campos immediately reported to hotel security that he had been shot. However, responding officers did not know Campos had been shot until they arrived on the 32nd floor and encountered him, Lombardo said.

According to the new time-line, the shooting on the crowd did not happen for another 8-9 minutes. That is a long time for no action to be taken on the shooting of a security guard. The mass killer may have panicked at the vision of the security guard. It may have peempted his plans, precipitating an attack before he was completely ready.

More details will come out in the weeks and months to come. We are already hearing the killer was depressed and in pain. That could lead to suicidal planning, which is common in mass public killers.

The timeline change reinforces the understanding that seconds are precious in responding to these events.

It is pure speculation, but I wonder if hotel policy might be different, or delayed, for those at the highest level. Might there have been previous shootings where someone was wounded by other high level guests, where everything was covered up for a price?  Perhaps "accidents" where the hotel did not want the
bad publicity?

All the hotel management knew, from the above scenario, before the mass killer opened up on the crowd, was that someone in suite 135 had shot through a door and hit a security guard in the leg.  The guard was mobile. The wound did not appear life-threatening. Making this a police matter may have seemed premature. Maybe the on duty management was trying to determine the best approach to take.

The answers to those questions may come over time. I have not heard an ambulance was called for Campos, the security guard.  If 911 was called, there will be a record.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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