Between 10:05 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. on October 1, the deadliest mass shooting in modern-U.S. histroy terrorized Las Vegas, sending shockwaves around the country and world. Surpassing the Orlando nightclub shooting in June 2016, the Las Vegas shooting had 58 fatalities and 489 injuries. The perpetrator was a 64-year-old man named Stephen Paddock, a former postal worker and tax auditor who lived what many who knew him called a very private, unsocial life. As of now, there is not much solid evidence on what his motives were, just theories. Eric Paddock, his younger brother, said, “I wish I could tell you he was a miserable bastard, that I hate him, that if I could have killed him myself I would have, But I can’t say that. It’s not who he was. We need to find out what happened to him. Something happened to my brother.” His girlfriend, Marilou Danley, said that his physical and mental health had been declining and that could have been a factor on what motivated him. This, of course, helps re-spark debates such as gun control laws and mental health laws.

Jordan Richman, school psychologist, said, “I am no expert in the area of gun laws. As a person who works in the field of psychology, however, I would say that there needs to be very strict laws/restrictions about people having access to buying weapons, particularly if someone has any history of mental illness. From what I heard, this suspect does not fit the typical profile of other mass murderers. This suspect reportedly was quite wealthy, had a social life, advanced education, and at the moment, there is not a clear motive, from what I’ve heard. Time may tell, however, what this person’s motive actually was. On some level, I think this case suggests that you cannot always easily tell if someone is ‘mentally ill’ or ’emotionally unstable’ or ‘off’. There are signs that you may be able to tell if you knew the person very well. But what this case may show is that while this person may have appeared on the surface to be typical in many ways, deep down he was obviously not.” When asked if he thought this was going to change gun laws or the way mental health was treated in this country, Richman said “I think it may, but then again, it may not. I have no idea. I would hope that laws are put into effect that protect society from potentially mentally ill people having access to guns, as well as the ability to access super advanced automatic weapons.”

The Owner of Coliseum Gun Traders, Andy, was asked whether the shooting affected his sales at all. He said usually when a shooting like this happens, it helps increase sales. When asked what laws there were to selling guns to people, he said, “Usually there are many rules you have to follow when selling a gun to someone, and it usually involves getting a license and checking for anything shady while checking their background.” When asked what he thinks should be done to prevent these types of shootings from happening, he said people should focus more on background checks and, specifically, mental illness. When asked about laws to possibly ban guns, he said, “It would be impossible to get rid of all guns. there will always be a way to get them somehow, and a criminal will always find a way.”

Michelle Figueroa, a senior, said, “Personally, I found it suspicious that he had a lot of guns with him at the hotel, around 20 or more. This makes me wonder if this was really a one-man job, since it would be difficult to pull off a stunt like that by only one person.” Figueroa added, “Guns should be allowed but with limits, such as more extensive background checks and limiting accessories that can be used to improve a guns shooting capability.” She continued on this train of thought: “This should be a national issue with a few state tweaks because not all states are equal in that respect (plus making it solely a national issue would not be feasible due to the deep divide between both parties).” When asked if she thought the mentally ill should have access to guns or weapons, she said, “Not really. If they can’t control themselves, they can’t handle guns. Guns are not weapons until someone decides to use them as such.” In response to banning all guns, Figueroa responded, “The problem with that is that people will always find a way to get a gun, especially through the black market.”