LAS VEGAS, United States, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing investigation into the deadliest shooting in U.S. history has shown "progress but no result" so far, said Joseph Lombardo, sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) on Tuesday.
At a briefing conference, Lombardo called on media to remain patient, because authorities need time to "ensure the continued safety of our community" and local police must join security work for President Donald Trump's visit scheduled on Wednesday to the city.
Though cautious about answering questions, the sheriff disclosed some information about the bloody rampage, describing it as "pre-planned and extensive."
"I'm pretty sure that he evaluated everything that he did in his actions, which is troublesome," Lombardo said, adding the 64-year-old gunman, Stephen Paddock, set up two cameras when he shot bullets from the 32th floor of Mandalay Bay Hotel overlooking the Las Vegas Strip, with one camera hidden in the hallway to monitor the approach of policemen.
He said Paddock fired at hotel security staff before taking his own life in the room.
Lombardo recalled that LVMPD started accepting calls at 10:08 p.m. Sunday night local time (GMT 0508 Monday) and the gunfire lasted for about 9 minutes as police worked to locate the crime scene.
He defended the reaction of security guards of the hotel and policemen at the scene, saying that under those circumstances it was not easy to handle such a cold-blooded murderer without any assistance or heavy weapons.
Kenny, a security guard who did not give his full name and works for Luxor Hotel, a casino next to Mandalay Bay, told Xinhua on Monday that he was on duty when the mass shooting happened and all guards with guns nearby were called to the scene.
"I heard the sound of machine gun shooting on the radio," he said. "We rushed to there, but we had only handguns. We could do nothing."
Local media reported that 21 guns were found in the gunman's room. As reporters asked about the amount and models of machine guns used by the shooter, Lombardo did not give direct answers, just saying "the world has changed."
He also said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was still investigating Marilou Danley, a 61-year-old Philippine woman who lived with Paddock in Mesquite of Nevada, a city located 120 km northeast of Las Vegas.
Police said they believe Paddock was a "lone wolf" attacker earlier, and when the incident occurred, Danley was not in the country.
However, Lombardo said she was still regarded as a "person of interest," a term used by U.S. law enforcement referring to someone who is involved in a criminal investigation but has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime.
Two days after the Las Vegas mass shooting, some people showed their doubts over the reaction and investigation by the authorities, including why the special weapons and tactics team of LVMPD did not use snipers to kill the shooter and many asked how Paddock could carry so many guns into a famous casino in ten big suitcases.
At least 59 people were killed and 527 others wounded after the gunman opened fire Sunday on a concert in Las Vegas in the U.S. state of Nevada, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
Trump on Monday called the mass shooting an "act of pure evil," and promised to visit the city on Wednesday.
