New images obtained by Fox 25 Boston reveal two of the rifles Stephen Paddock had in his possession at the time of the Las Vegas massacre that left more 500 injured and 59 people dead last Sunday.
Fox25 said the images were obtained by police sources. They show two AR-15 style rifles laying on the floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel room Paddock fired down upon crowd attending the final night of the three-day Route 91 Harvest Festival.
Paddock fired hundreds of rounds, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history with no apparent ideological or political motive.
RocketFFL firearms attorney Ryan Cleckner identified the weapons for Fox News, noting that the vertical foregrip and muzzle brake on one of the rifles can help a shooter control it during rapid fire.
The barrel on that rifle showed a reddish hue, consistent with a gun that had recently been fired repeatedly.
The rifle also had a bump fire stock, a modification that effectively turns a semi-automatic rifle into a legal automatic. The stock springs the rifle forward when the kick from firing it pushes it back into the shooter’s shoulder. This allows the shooter to hold his finger steady as the semi-automatic rifle bounces forward after each shot and fires again.
Restrictions put in place in the 1930s have significantly restricted the purchase fully automatic weapons in the United States.
“The gun is able to articulate in and out of the stock by an inch or so,” Cleckner told Fox News. “By using the recoil of the firearm, near automatic rates of fire can be achieved.”
That rifle also had a high-capacity magazine that can hold 60 to 100 rounds and an EOTech holographic sight better suited for rapid rather than precise firing.
Two officials familiar with the investigation told AP that Paddock had two rifles with bump stocks.
Police have said Paddock had 23 firearms in his hotel room, including a handgun and at least 10 rifles.
Several of those rifles had scopes.
The other rifle Fox obtained a photo of has a bipod and scope.
“That’s a fairly high-end rifle,” Cleckner told Fox. “You’re looking at a few thousand dollars to get one of those.”
AR-15 rifles are legal to purchase in the United States.
Las Vegas police said they are investigating the crime scene and trying to determine a motive for the shooting.
Assistant Sheriff Todd Fasula said police found 19 firearms at Paddock’s home in Mesquite, Nevada.
“I want to emphasize that Paddock is solely responsible of this heinous act,” he told reporters on Monday.
Fasulo said rumours of more than one assailant have no evidence.
“We believe there was only one shooter and that was Stephen Paddock.”
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