
The Las Vegas gunman who killed 58 civilians and injured hundreds more before killing himself on Sunday had originally hoped to survive his shooting and flee justice - and likely had an accomplice, it has emerged.

Stephen Paddock, 64, had planned to escape the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel after firing on the Route 91 Harvest country music festival, Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo revealed in a press conference Wednesday.

Lombardo declined to reveal why he believed that Paddock had an exit planned, but said he was confident in the claim - and said that his scheme was so elaborate that he would have to be a 'super hero' to pull it off alone. Several law enforcement sources told NBC that investigators are looking to speak with a woman who was seen with Paddock in his last days, when his girlfriend was out of the country. They don't know if she's connected to the attack but want to speak with her to fill in their timeline of the lead-up to the attack.

Lombardo said Paddock lived a 'secret life' and 'meticulously planned on the worst domestic attack in United States history.'

'Stephen Paddock is a man who spent decades acquiring weapons and ammo and lived a secret life, much of which will never be fully understood,' Lombardo said.

He also announced that the count of people injured in the attack was lower than initially stated - 489, not 527 - due to confusion at hospitals.

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Sheriff Joseph Lombardo (left) said on Wednesday that 'You gotta make the assumption' that Stephen Paddock (right), 64, had help in his plot to kill and maim hundreds in Las Vegas on Sunday. He also said there was evidence Paddock planned to escape

Lombardo didn't reveal why he thought escape was planned, but as this photo of Paddock's dead body shows, he killed himself. The sheriff added that although there was a letter on the table (in red circle), no suicide note was found

An investigator is seen on Wednesday peering through one of the windows that Paddock smashed so he could open fire on the crowd. Lombardo also revised the number of injured down from 527 to 489, citing hospital confusion during the shooting

Horrifying video footage (pictured) that emerged Wednesday shows dozens of bodies lying in the field where the Route 91 Harvest country music festival was being held when Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel

Investigators are still processing the festival site-turned-crime scene. The FBI warned in the press conference on Wednesday that it would be some time before all of the evidence that was being collected was properly examined

It wasn't clear why Lombardo thought that Paddock had expected to survive his insane assault, which is the worst mass shooting in US history.

But he said that he believed the killer had ceased firing on the terrified civilians in order to figure out how he could escape, as SWAT teams closed in on his room.

He also noted that Paddock's car contained two 50lbs of the explosive Tannerite - in two 20lb tins and 10 1lb tins - as well as 1,600 rounds of ammunition.

A journalist in the press pool asked whether Paddock had planned to use the vehicle to escape, but Lombardo declined to answer.

Lombardo also said he thought it was likely that Paddock had an accomplice, given the 23 rifles and piles of magazines in the room, the additional firearms in Paddock's homes, and the electronic devices recovered from his Mesquite house.

Paddock would have had to have been a 'super hero' to pull it off, Lombardo said, before catching himself for using the word 'hero' to refer to a mass murderer.

'Look at the weapon obtaining, the amounts of Tannerite available - do you think this was accomplished all on his own, face value?' he said.

'You gotta make the assumption he had to have help at some point, and we want to ensure that's the answer.'

These photos from inside the room show several assault rifles; Lombardo said the number of guns here and in Paddock's homes, and explosives in his car suggest that he had help. Beside one pillar (right), a neat stack of magazines can be seen

'Look at the weapon obtaining, the amounts of [the explosive] Tannerite available - do you think this was accomplished all on his own, face value?' Lombardo asked, rhetorically. However, he said that there was still the possibility Paddock acted alone

Air Force One departs Las Vegas, flying past the broken windows on the Mandalay Bay hotel, where shooter Stephen Paddock conducted his mass shooting

He continued: 'Put two and two together: another residence in Reno with several firearms, okay, electronics, and everything else associated with it, large amounts of ammo, a place in Mesquite.

WHY DID THE INJURY COUNT DROP? On Wednesday the number of people injured in Paddock's shooting fell from 527 to 489. In a press conference, Sheriff Lombardo said that the initial numbers were composed of figures given by local hospitals during the crisis. They accidentally included some people who were counted twice and others who were treated for injuries not linked to the shooting, he said. The new figure is the new official statistic, he said. Advertisement

'We know that he had a girlfriend. Do you think this is all self-facing, individuals are just, without talking to somebody, sequestered amongst themselves? Come on, folks.'

Marilou Danley, Paddock's 62-year-old girlfriend, landed back in the US from the Philippines on Tuesday and has spoken to the FBI.

She said in a statement today through her lawyer that she had no idea of Paddock's deranged plans. She also thought that the $100,000 her boyfriend wired her in the Philippines was a way of breaking up with her.

Aaron Rouse, FBI special agent in charge of the investigation, said that she was not in FBI custody and that she had been helping with their inquiries.

He also said there was no evidence 'to this point' that suggests terrorism, but that 'this is an ongoing investigation... we're not going to close down any doors.'

If Paddock did have an accomplice, then it might make sense of the claim made on Wednesday that Paddock had ordered room service for two guests days before the massacre - as shown by a receipt.

Lombardo also said that SWAT teams spotted two cameras on a room service cart outside Paddock's suite, and one in the peephole of a door.

There was also a baby monitor camera in the family area of the hotel room, he said. None of them were recording.

However, it's believed that they may have provided Paddock with a live view of the police as they advanced on his position.

He said that Paddock's attempts to flee had probably begun when he spotted security guard Jesus Campos - who had been investigating the gunfire separate from the police - approaching his room on one of the cameras.

Paddock then fired 'well over 200 rounds' through the door into the hallway - miraculously only injuring, not killing, the courageous guard, he said.

Elisabeth Apcar and Dashenka Giraldo, from Las Vegas, light candles for the victims of the Mandalay Bay massacre in Las Vegas on Wednesday night

A young girl inspects a makeshift memorial for the victims at the northern end of the Las Vegas strip on Wednesday night

Near the doors to Paddock's room was a room service cart, with empty plates - and two cameras showing Paddock what was happening in the hall. A third camera was in the peephole of Paddock's door, but none of the footage was recorded

Lombardo said Paddock fired 'over 200' rounds through these doors when he spotted a security guard approaching the room. Miraculously, the guard was only injured, and was able to tell police exactly where Paddock was

The guard and police approached Paddock's room down the corridor; a separate team came up the stairs next to the room, but held off raiding when they spotted cameras on the cart near the door. Lombardo said Paddock had stopped firing by then

Even more incredibly, when police arrived 60 seconds later, Lombardo said, Campos not only gave them his master key and information, he also helped clear nearby rooms of bystanders.

Campos only sought medical attention when ordered to leave by the police, Lombardo claimed.

But the sheriff said that while the security guard did distract Paddock from his spree, police were just seconds behind him - and would have done the same if he weren't there.

KILLER 'REQUESTED FESTIVAL VIEW - AND GOT HIS ROOM FREE' Paddock had specifically requested a suit overlooking the music festival he later attacked. He made the request - naming the festival - when he checked in on Thursday September 28, a source told The Associated Press. However, the room wasn't immediately available, the source said, and he was put in another room. Because of that, when the suite opened up on Saturday, the hotel gave it to him for free, the source claimed. The following night, he knocked through two windows in the two-room suit and opened fire on the festival. Advertisement

Like Undersheriff Kevin McMahill on Tuesday night, Lombardo stressed that although it took more than 70 minutes between the first shot fired and SWAT breaching the room, police were not sitting on their hands.

Instead, he said, they were on Paddock's case from the very start, and once the killer stopped firing - after 10 minutes, according to bodycam footage - they focused on evacuating the floor, since he was barricaded in his room.

Unfortunately, Lombardo said, they are no closer to knowing what Paddock's motives might be for his killing spree - but he said that police were looking into why Paddock bought 33 rifles in October 2016.

He confirmed that they were looking into the possibility that something may have triggered a mental issue around that time that caused him to buy the guns.

Lombardo also confirmed that Paddock had rented a room in Downtown Las Vegas during the Life is Beautiful Festival, which was held on September 22-24.

He had booked out a suite at the Ogden, a condo building that was advertised for its views over the festival, including the main stage, where Gorillaz, Chance the Rapper, Muse and Lorde all played this year.

It's not known why Paddock hired the room - if he intended to attack that festival, or to give himself a better idea of what to expect on Sunday are two possibilities.

But if he'd opened fire during the event, and been able to fire the same distances that he did on Sunday, he could have hit 11 of the 15 blocks that the festival covered. It had 45,000 visitors per day this year.

Lombardo said that the rooms were not rented directly from the Ogden, but through an Airbnb account run by someone living there.

He said that the Ogden and the festival's organizers had both helped with the investigation.

He said that some 'items' had been taken from the property, along with video footage - but said he didn't know if they counted as 'evidence' yet.

Lombardo said that Paddock had hired a room overlooking the Life is Beautiful Festival (pictured), which was held across 15 blocks of Downtown Vegas from 22-24 September. It's not known if he intended to attack that festival or was doing research

He used Airbnb to book a condo at the Ogden (left), which overlooks the festival; seen right is a view of Life is Beautiful taken from the Ogden in 2016. If he had fired from the building he could have hit the crowd at the main stage

The festival occupied the 15 blocks within the blue lines above. The shaded areas show the distance Paddock fired on Sunday; he could have hit 11 blocks at the festival, including the main stage where Lorde, Muse, Chance the Rapper and Gorillaz played

Also on Thursday, it emerged that the crowds at the Route 91 festival were not Paddock's only targets on Sunday: He'd also attempted to detonate tanks of jet fuel close to the event.

The tanks are roughly two blocks away from the Mandalay Bay Resort and 1,100 feet from the concert site, and contain jet fuel for the nearby Los Angeles International Airport, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

They are perfectly in line with the second window that Paddock broke in a suite adjoining his main sniper's nest, around 2,000 feet away.

Paddock had successfully managed to hit the tanks, but had failed to penetrate them, a source with knowledge of the investigation said.

The FBI had inspected the tanks and made measurements, and they have since been repaired.

The investigation continues further afield, at the two houses that Paddock owned in Verdi, outside Reno, and Mesquite - and from which investigators pulled rifles, handguns, shotguns, explosives and electronic devices.

Paddock, who made millions in real estate, bought the Mesquite property in 2014, attracted by its privacy - it has neighbors to either side of the home, but none at the rear - and paid in cash, CNN reported.

Once in, he erected a privacy mesh that obscured his hilltop view of the town below; his neighbors successfully petitioned to have it taken down.

One neighbor said Paddock told her: 'I don't want to be looking at people, and I don't want people looking at me.'

His neighbor, Scott Smith, said that Danley was pleasant, but Paddock was not, and wouldn't even return a friendly wave, and would usually only be seen entering or leaving the property. 'Garage is up. They're in the house. Garage is down. That was about it,' he said.

WHERE DID HE GET THE REST? Gun sellers' records only account for 14 of killer's 49-firearm arsenal HIS SUPPLIERS GUNS AND GUITARS Located: Killer's home of Mesquite, Nevada Purchases: Five firearms total, including a rifle sold on September 28 DIXIE GUN WORX Located: St. George, Utah Purchases: One shotgun bought in February NEW FRONTIER ARMORY Located: Las Vegas, Nevada Purchases: One rifle and one shotgun bought in the spring. CABELA'S Located: Verdi, Nevada Purchases: At least six guns DISCOUNT FIREARMS AND AMMO Located: Las Vegas, Nevada Purchases: Unknown GUN STORE/S IN TEXAS Locations and purchases unknown GUN STORE/S IN CALIFORNIA Locations and purchases unknown THE KILLER'S ARSENAL MANDALAY BAY HOTEL ROOM 23 weapons, including multiple rifles and a handgun Scopes At least 12 had bump stocks to turn semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic weapons HOME IN MESQUITE, NEVADA At least 19 firearms Explosives Several thousand rounds of ammunition Electronic devices HOME IN RENO, NEVADA Five handguns Two shotguns A 'plethora' of ammunition Electronic devices IN CAR PARKED IN MANDALAY Ammonium nitrate Advertisement

It emerged Thursday that one of the reasons Paddock knocked out two windows was so he could target tankers of jet fuel (left). He knocked out the right-hand window to target festivalgoers, and the left-hand one, in an adjoining room, to hit tanks

Although the tanks were 2,000 feet from Paddock's window, he managed to make several direct hits. However, none of them penetrated the thick tanks, an inside source said. Los Angeles International Airport is seen top-left.

Paddock's neighbors at his home in Mesquite (seen Wednesday; police ripped off his garage door when searching the property) said he was reclusive and unfriendly, and even erected a fence to avoid people looking in; they had it taken down

Thursday also saw a press statement given by Danley, who landed back in the US from the Philippines on Tuesday, and had been talking to the FBI since.

MARILOU DANLEY'S WHEREABOUTS IN THE DAYS BEFORE THE SHOOTING September 15: Danley arrives in the Philippines from Tokyo September 22: Danley leaves the Philippines for Hong Kong September 25: Danley returns to the Philippines from Hong Kong October 3: Danley cuts her trip to the Philippines short to return to the US to speak with investigators October 4: FBI says Danley isn't in their custody but won't disclose her location Advertisement

In a prepared statement read out by her lawyer, Matt Lombard, Danley called Paddock 'a kind, caring, quiet man' and said she 'loved him and hoped for a quiet future together with him.'

'He never said anything to me, or took any action that I was aware of, that I understood in any way to be a warning that something horrible like this was going to happen,' she said.

Just over two weeks ago, she said, Paddock surprised her with a flight to the Philippines, which he said was so she could see her family - which she eagerly took.

While there, she said, the multimillionaire sent her $100,000, which he said was to buy a house for her family.

'I was grateful, but honestly I was worried that first, the unexpected trip home and then the money, was a way of breaking up with me,' she said.

'It never occurred to me in any way whatsoever that he was planning violence against anyone.'

Danley concluded the statement by saying she was cooperating with the authorities and would do whatever she could do to 'help ease suffering or help in any way'.

Lombard left without answering any questions, including one about the weapons that Paddock had stockpiled in the home in Mesquite that he and Danley had shared.

Marilou Danley, the girlfriend of Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock (Danley left; both right), released a statement Wednesday. In it she said she had no idea of Paddock's insane plans, and that he bought her surprise tickets to the Philippines two weeks ago

Her lawyer, Matthew Lombard (left), read out the statement in which she said Paddock claimed the tickets were so she could see her family. When Paddock sent her $100,000 'to buy a house for her family,' she assumed he was breaking up with her. Danley is seen right being wheeled through LAX on Tuesday; it's not clear why she was in a wheelchair

In the wake of the mass killing, both Republicans and Democrats said they would be willing to discuss banning the bump-stock modifications seen on 12 rifles in Paddock's hotel room.

The mods replace the stock and pistol grip on assault rifles with a sliding mechanism that 'bumps' the trigger on and off the shooter's finger - allowing for firing rates of up to 800 rounds a minute, effectively making it a full-auto weapon.

HOW DO BUMP-STOCK MODS WORK? Bump-stock modifications, which allow for full-auto fire on semi-auto guns, were found on 12 of the 23 rifles found in Paddock's hotel room. They're believed to be how he was able to fire thousands of rounds into the crowds at a music festival on Sunday in just 10 minutes. They are attached to the rear of the gun and allow the rifle to slide back and forward while firing, causing the trigger to 'bump' into the shooter's finger with the natural recoil of each shot. So long as the shooter keeps his or her finger over the trigger, the semi-automatic gun will keep firing rapidly - much like a full-automatic. Instead of pulling the trigger with their finger, users tense the finger, then pull the gun forward with their other arm, which would usually steady the gun. While the stock and pistol grip remain still, the rest of the gun moves forward, pulling the trigger onto the finger to fire a shot. The recoil then sends the gun back on the slide and the trigger away from the trigger finger. Continuing to pull the gun forward with the steady-arm causes the gun to jolt back and forth, repeatedly depressing the trigger and firing as many as 800 rounds per minute. Advertisement

Those modifications are legal, the ATF confirmed on Wednesday, because they don't cause the gun to fire multiple shots when the trigger is depressed for an extended period.

On Wednesday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., introduced legislation that would ban the sale and possession of bump stocks.

The devices were originally intended to help people with limited hand mobility to fire a semi-automatic without the individual trigger pulls required.

They are attached to the rear of the gun and allow the rifle to slide back and forward while firing, causing the trigger to 'bump' into the shooter's finger with the natural recoil of each shot.

So long as the shooter keeps his or her finger over the trigger, the semi-automatic gun will keep firing rapidly - much like a full-automatic.

The result is that the weapon's rate of fire is increased from between 45 and 60 rounds per minute to between 400 and 800 rounds per minute, according to Feinstein's office.

'In just nine minutes an individual was able to turn a concert venue into a battlefield,' Feinstein told reporters at a Capitol Hill press conference, flanked by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., whose home state was rattled in 2012 by the Sandy Hook mass shooting, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Overall, Feinstein got 29 of her fellow Democrats to sign on in just a few hours. She added that her own daughter had planned to attend the event - and stay in the Mandalay Bay - but in the end did not.

No Republicans joined in that effort, but on Wednesday some GOP members said that they would consider backing such a ban.

The Senate's third-ranking Republican, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said bump stocks are 'something I think we'll look at,' while Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C, suggested it was a 'good time' to hold a hearing on the matter.

'I'm not an expert on bump stocks, [but] all things that make America safer and don't infringe on the Second Amendment, count me in,' Graham said, according to CBS News.

Speaking directly to the president, Blumenthal said: 'I hope you will provide leadership and at the very least back a bill that sops these killer accelerators, like these bump stops.'

So far the White House, along with many Congressional Republicans, have said now is not the time to be discussing gun control measures.

Feinstein, echoing many of her fellow Democrats, asked, 'If not, when will we ever do it?'

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., introduced legislation alongside her Democratic colleagues on Wednesday to ban the sale and possession of bump stocks, of which the Las Vegas killer had 12 such devices, she said

The devices, known as 'bump stocks' among other names, are legal and originally were intended to help people with limited hand mobility fire a semi-automatic without the individual trigger pulls required

Republican Sens. John Thune, R-S.D. (left) and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. (right) both indicated Wednesday that the bump stock issue was worth a look

Footage also emerged on Thursday of one patriotic victim standing to shake Donald Trump's hand as he visited victims on Wednesday - even though he had been shot in the leg.

'Hey, this guy looks tough to me,' the President said as he shook Thomas Gunderson's hand.

Gunderson posted the video to his Facebook page with the caption: 'I will never lie down when the President of this great country comes to shake my hand!

After Wednesday's visit, Trump praised the victims' bravery, and extended and invitation for them to visit him in Washington, DC.

'I just met some of the most amazing people,' he told reporters at University Medical Center. 'We met patients that were absolutely terribly wounded.' 'I invited a lot of them over to the White House,' he added.

Lombardo said in his press conference on Thursday that despite concerns raised by some, the president's visit had not interfered with the police investigation.

Trump had met officers who were on the ground when the shooting began, he said, not the separate team that were investigating the mass murder.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk with surgeon Dr. John Fildes at the University Medical Center after meeting with victims of the mass shooting Wednesday

Thomas Gunderson (left and right) posted a video to Facebook of himself standing to greet Trump, even though he had been shot in the leg, with the caption: 'I will never lie down when the President of this great country comes to shake my hand!'

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department with first responders who reacted to the mass shooting over the weekend

Donald Trump met with police officers and emergency crews who were called to the scene of the mass shooting over the weekend

Surgeon Dr. John Fildes (left), President Donald Trump (center) and first lady Melania Trump (right) walk together at University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada

First lady Melania Trump looks on as Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo is embraced by President Donald Trump after the president gave a speech in a room full of police officers and family members at Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarters