ISIS has tripled-down on its claim that Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock was both a convert to Islam and operating on its behalf in its just published edition of its weekly Naba newsletter. The Islamic State propaganda newsletter features infographs and new specific claims concerning Paddock, who the terror group identifies according to the Muslim name, Abu Abdul Barr al-Amriki (or Abu Abdul Barr "The American").

Whereas ISIS media statements initially said Paddock converted "months ago" the new publication now claims he converted six months ago. Minutes after the newsletter was issued, counter-terror analysts focused on the specificity of that particular new information. Thus far investigators have failed to uncover or make public a motive for the mass attack which left 59 dead and over 500 wounded in the deadliest shooting in American history.

In Naba 100 #ISIS featured an infographic on #LasVegas attack & indicated the shooter, "Abu Abdul Barr al-Amriki," converted 6 months ago pic.twitter.com/5JhMFbU2Se — SITE Intel Group (@siteintelgroup) October 5, 2017

Assuming that FBI and police investigators are truly coming up short on motive or ties to terrorism, a main perplexing oddity that stands out is the clearly immense amount of prepping and planning that went into the attack combined with the seemingly non-existent public messaging left behind by the shooter. According to Max Abrams, counter-terror expert and professor of international relations at Northeastern University, little about the attack currently makes sense, as inexplicably "the killer went to very elaborate efforts to kill the maximum number of strangers for no apparent reason."

Although ISIS has repeatedly claimed credit for the shooting in the days after the attack, both his brother and authorities have dismissed the possibility. He had "no religious affiliation, no political affiliation," Eric Paddock said in an interview, adding: "He just hung out."

Yet ISIS' latest claims in its Naba newsletter are giving pause to some analysts who have been monitoring the group's multiple publications since their foundations.

Below is the newest ISIS infograph released as part of the publication with translation underneath:

SITE Intel Group's translation of the above ISIS infograph is as follows:

Las Vegas Invasion Monday, 12 Muharram 1439H A soldier from the soldiers of the Caliphate targeted a large gathering of 22,000 Americans at a concert in the city of Las Vegas, including nearly 600 killed and wounded The executor of the operation, Abu Abdul Barr al-Amriki [al-Amriki = “The American”], 64-years old, converted to Islam 6 months ago Method of Execution The brother Abu Abdul Barr stationed himself for the invasion on the 32nd floor of a hotel overlooking a concert, and opened fire continuously on the crowds using 23 guns and more than 2000 rounds, and died, may Allah accept him, after exhausting his ammunition Results of the Operation 59 killed 527 wounded Panic and confusion of security in America and a number of European countries

Some analysts are pointing to the surprising fact that ISIS has throughout the past years been fairly consistent and disciplined with its claims. They argue that the terror group's tripling down on prominently publicizing and claiming Paddock should give investigators serious pause to consider.

One of the more convincing arguments is from Rukmini Callimachi, the New York Times special correspondent covering ISIS, who seems to have changed her mind on the issue based on ISIS' latest publication. In a interview with NPR on Tuesday, she agreed with the interviewer who dismissed that ISIS could have actually been behind the attack, but now seems to have changed her mind, saying that it's wrong to reject the ISIS claims out of hand, but that there are significant reasons for believing it.

Callimachi issued her commentary in a lengthy tweet thread captured below, and her argument for not preemptively rejecting the theory is convincing: