The shooter's brother has been all over tv all day, speaking to various people.

[Honeycombe8]

IMO, he needs to go inside & stop talking. He seems bizarre to me. Making a short statement, okay. But I've seen him on several things, wearing different clothing, waving his arms and making gestures to his head, "This makes no sense! He just called our mother 2 weeks ago!" He says this over and over, while pointing to his head and waving his hands in the air.

But then he calmly speaks about his brother having money, being normal, having a really sweet girlfriend, etc., etc. Oddly no mention of the violent, psychotic father.

Strange.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Didn't seem strange to me.

If my apparently normal, stable, financially comfortable brother had suddenly committed a mass murder, I'd be sort of freaking out, too. To me he was acting like a very stressed-out guy who was experiencing something that he just couldn't comprehend.

And I wouldn't be talking about my violent, psychotic father either.

[Honeycombe8]

9. It seemed fairly normal at first to me, too. But think about it....

He spoke to a bevy of reporters this morning. Okay.

Then changed clothing. Again later in day was speaking on tv again. Okay.

Then changed clothing and appeared speaking to bevy of reporters again.

It began to seem....not normal.

This is not usually how families of shooters act. They may make a statement, then they issue condolences for the victims. Then they avoid the press thereafter.

[cwydro]

64. Is there some kind of playbook for families of shooters to follow?

Can you enlighten those of us who have no clue ?

[Honeycombe8]

73. I'm just stating an observation and opinion.

Behavioral experts will tell you that people do say things about themselves through their actions.

It could be that he felt a need to talk about it, and that's who was there. Or it could be he liked the attention. Or it could be he was in a fog and didn't realize what he was doing.

It's not the end of the world and is unrelated to his brother's deadly actions. I was just sayin'....someone in the family should've pulled him inside the house at some point.

Here he is, just making stuff up (he'd never even drawn a gun! Clearly, the brother is an experienced gunman. And I believe this brother hadn't seen the shooter in years...not sure how long).

[Corvo Bianco]

77. This is the first I've seen him.

He's telling some kind of fib,, big or little. Shaking his head with argumentative pitchy voice while he's talking about how many guns brother has. Looks like he keeps lying to himself about fundamentals, without provocation. I'm with you!

[ChubbyStar]

85. He looks like a tweaker to me

I've thought from the beginning that the shooter was a drug dealer, it explains the money. I saw tons of tweakers when I worked at a casino. Compulsive gambling comes with the meth game. The plot thickens.

[TeeYiYi]

92. I agree with you...

He bothered me the first time I saw him, but check this out...



The shirt he's wearing in the video you posted is indirectly tied to the Pulse Nightclub shooting. The woman who handled Pulse Nightclub's PR and crisis management is listed as Chairman of the Board for the website printed on his tee.

I guess that explains the wardrobe changes. $$$ #creepy

https://www.intellihub.com/shooters-brother-linked-to-crisis-communications-management-pr-firm-and-pulse-nightclub/

TYY

[Honeycombe8]

93. Wow. That IS creepy. I wonder if he realized that, or if just a coincidence? nt

[anneboleyn]

78. I agree - the Sandy Hook "truthers" claimed that the parents didn't "act right" -- I have seen

people in our own family and in general respond in very different ways to trauma, extreme trauma. We had a relative die suddenly and very tragically. Some relatives seemed unresponsive/not emotional at all -- or even talked and laughed more than normal immediately after (Alex Jones would say they were "crisis actors" -- bullshit -- people don't understand that responses to extreme trauma range wildly). Yet after a week or two they crashed into massive depressions that lasted for years. Yet if they had been interviewed, and in a way some of them were as the relative was a very popular local person and hundreds came to the wake, they would have seemed "happy," not sad. But they were crushed, and they still haven't recovered -- but that was later and behind closed doors. Some other relatives cried loudly at the funeral but then were mostly "normal" after an initial display of emotions. It wasn't really an issue of how close a person was either -- it just showed me that response to trauma and mourning are in fact highly personal and idiosyncratic.

First of all, I have no idea why in this case the brother WOULD talk about the father. They were raised by their mother -- and there are certainly people who have a parent who has done something criminal and been in jail yet didn't turn into mass murderers themselves. They (from the various news reports) were very estranged from the father when they were growing up. What in the hell would mentioning the father have to do with anything? Maybe as we learn different details I will change my mind but the brother seems to be in shock and is talking to the media because they are there and because he's trying to process what happened. I think he is in a state of near insanity. I don't think he has even begun to absorb the enormity of what happened (they are hounding him by the way -- the media lives outside of houses when these events happen).

[Hortensis]

68. It is unusual. He might be having his moment. Or perhaps talking constantly

to anyone who'll listen is a way of dealing with this. Perhaps it's protective against criticism. Or all of them?

I only saw him once, out on his front porch, and he was for sure moving everything movable, but what struck me most was that he said his brother was friends with his 2 ex-wives. That's always said something good to me, and yet this happened.

[Upward]

40. If You Went 10 Years Without Speaking to a Sibling

There's a reason

[JenniferJuniper]

2. He was giggling at one point, maybe

from nerves but still, it unnerved me.

[Honeycombe8]

11. I know. Something a little off. Too many press conferences..and changes of clothes. Just odd.nt

[defacto7]

50. Did he really giggle?

All things I've heard could be reasonable reactions... except that one. To smile or giggle during an interview on this subject doesn't bode well mentally. Therapists sometimes see it as a tell. But it doesn't necessarily mean anything either.

[tblue37]

53. Actually, laughter or giggling is a common stress reaction. nt

[defacto7]

58. Yes, but there are other connotations in the context of murder

If you look up video footage of suspects speaking to the press about a wife or children that were murdered, while they seek to project the blame, somewhere in the statement even while showing some sort of grief, you will see a momentary smile or laugh for no reason. I've watched several and it's uncanny.
I can't remember the names but the mother who drowned her children in their car was one. Another was the guy in Utah who killed his wife out in the sticks somewhere. It's something investigators look for.

[LanternWaste]

65. What then of relevance, does his giggling lead you to believe you may not otherwise have?

What then of relevance, does his giggling lead you to believe you may not otherwise have? Tell us of these connotations you allege, and what particular context they may or may not add weight to?

[defacto7]

69. No relevance whatsoever. That's why I said It may mean nothing.

It's an observation, an observation professionals make. Most people feel sad or serious enough that a smile isn't in them. It's not to make any accusations. It's just to say there may be some underlying mental/emotional disturbance, something held back or hidden... or just maybe an unusual reaction most wouldn't display. I'm speaking to reactions in the thread about him seeming unusual and I agree. But my opinion is that he's probably scared blurting out things he knows he shouldn't but can't help himself.

[anneboleyn]

79. I posted above that we had a close relative die tragically. Some close family members laughed and

chatted away at the wake and after the service (they also talked freely to the many hundreds who attended as the relative was a very well-known and beloved person in the community). Observers who didn't know the family would probably say they didn't seem "sad enough." However they have been in severe depressions for years since the death. They have in fact never recovered.

I have seen people giggle when given a terminal cancer diagnosis. They certainly were/are not "happy." As you said it is a stress response.

[tblue37]

89. Remember MTM at the funeral for Chuckles the Cloiwn?

<iframe width="660" height="371" src="

" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[SoCalMusicLover]

3. I Didn't Know He Had Guns

The brother was known to be a hunter, who traveled often to Alaska to hunt. And he had no guns. A real bright family.

[highplainsdem]

4. Eric Paddock is the one who told the media about their father, according to what I read

earlier. Reporters didn't make that discovery on their own.

As for his behavior -- he seems really stressed, as you'd expect him to be under these circumstances. He's almost certainly been inundated with requests for interviews and is dealing with them as best he can. He's also mentioned concern about their 90 year old mother.

[Honeycombe8]

13. That is not what I read, I thought. It's easy to check.

You have the shooter's name. The large news orgs have access to databases, as do intel and crime agencies. A quick search of the guy,and boom...his father's criminal record shows up.

[highplainsdem]

19. See this tweet and the article it links to.

Link to tweet

That wasn't where I first read that Eric told reporters about his father. It was another article, the first one I saw today that mentioned the father.

[Honeycombe8]

23. I can see why you think that. But notice...it doesn't say he INFORMED officials of the father.

The article merely means that's what he said about the father this afternoon, presumably after being asked about him.

I think the i.d. of the father was by officials this morning. A quick check of the shooter's name would've turned that up.

I used to do research on finding witnesses. There are databases where you plug in a person's name, and boom, right there on the screen is the person's past and current life. Every address he's lived at for decades, the cars he owns and has owned in recent years, the names of all his neighbors (and phone numbers), who owned houses with him (spouses), past & current spouses, parents' identifies, siblings, criminal record, social security #, driver license #, sometimes voter registration...etc.

Then you can do the same search on family members.

All this takes just a few minutes. And is perfectly legal for those who have a reason for the info. I have no doubt the news orgs subscribe to such services, and criminal agencies have them.

[highplainsdem]

28. Believe that if you'd like. I'm going by what was actually reported, not speculation.

Such as this NY Daily News article:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/stephen-paddock-father-bank-robber-wanted-fbi-article-1.3536478

Eric Paddock told reporters Monday that their father was a convicted bank robber who was added to the FBI's Most Wanted list after escaping prison in the 1960s.

Normally, if reporters have the info first and ask about it, their story will say that the person being interviewed "confirmed" or "admitted" something. The word "told" usually suggests that the information originated with the person being interviewed, unless it's stated elsewhere that a question about that had been asked.

[flamingdem]

5. Glad for the info on the father. Psychosis and suicidal tendencies can be inherited

At least that's one way to understand what happened. Genetics is.

[Blue_true]

38. A law enforcer described the dad as a sociopath who was potentially homicidal.

But the son seems to have done ok, at least financially if information that is out is to be believed. There seems to be something missing.

[flamingdem]

52. I know. Thought the same that the son didn't have those characteristics but perhaps under stress

those tendencies, that are partly genetic in nature, emerged.

The stresses - gambling losses, aging, girlfriend leaving, etc.

[Amishman]

6. Something about this whole thing feels really off to me

The diabolically well planned attack without a hint of motive seems really strange

Is something being withheld to manipulate the public?

[WinkyDink]

8. Yes. It was all staged by actors, and nobody really died. It's a gubmint plot.

[DK504]

32. That's what Alec Jones says......

[Honeycombe8]

14. No, I don't think that at all. This is often how it starts out.

No one knows the reason at first. Sometimes we never learn it.

I didn't mean to start a conspiracy. I just think the brother should keep quiet and go inside, all right already. Maybe he's enjoying the limelight?

[onenote]

51. Easy for you to judge.

Presumably you haven't experienced anything remotely what this guy is going through. But you're positive you'd handle it so much better than he is.

[LanternWaste]

66. What specifically leads you to that?

" Maybe he's enjoying the limelight?"

What specifically leads you to hold that sentiment?

[snooper2]

70. Do you type the body of your reply first, then C&P from there to subject

or vice versa?

Just curious LOL

[cwydro]

88. Lol.

Often wondered the same.

[Honeycombe8]

74. Because he's in the limelight....a lot? A whole lot? Like a floodgate opening?

Contrast that to the Unabomber's brother...who gave a written statement, as I recall. And of course worked with authorities behind the scenes.

[anneboleyn]

81. Some of the Sandy Hook parents gave multiple interviews. People can be in shock or just react

in very different ways. The Jones crowd said the Sandy Hook parents were acting "weird" giving interviews. That shit drives me crazy.

[defacto7]

47. You could be right.

but it's not unusual for a homicidal psychopath. If I remember, 2% of humans are psychopaths. You could live next door to one for years, talked over the fence, had them over for dinner, had them babysit for your kid, all the while having no idea until the police show up to find bodies in the basement.

That's not to say all psychopaths are killers. On the contrary, there are many who are good citizens. The difference is that they choose to be good citizens, it's not natural for them. Having no innate awareness of other's feelings or that it matters they somewhere along the line decided that it was in their best interests to act in a way that recogized other's positions and respect them. It also goes the other way. Psychopath only means a person whose brain genetically lacks the part that feels empathy. They can never "walk in someone elses shoes" so to speak.

[RhodeIslandOne]

55. What was Charles Whitman's motive?

Some people are just fucked in the head.

[bagelsforbreakfast]

59. Actually, look up recent posts on Whitman - he had a gliablastoma

(same brain tumor McCain has) which caused him to do crazy things AND HE KNEW IT but couldn't stop it. He left a suicide note asking they inspect his brain after his death and found it.

[RhodeIslandOne]

61. Well, for all we know this guy could have had that too

I know the tumor has long been considered the reason Whitman lost it, but there's never been proof of it. It's been considered a factor.

All I'm saying is that sometimes it goes beyond a political/social motive. Some people can't control themselves. There was an epidemic of people shooting up their workplace thirty years ago and we never considered terrorism or political motive as the first reason.

[anneboleyn]

82. That's NOT a motive though. It explains changes in behavior but not motive.

[bagelsforbreakfast]

86. Insanity is the absence of rational motives. n/m

[obamanut2012]

60. staaaahp

[anneboleyn]

80. What?? -- I'm sorry but this sounds like Alex Jones to me.

We often don't immediately know motives in many cases -- the Colorado shooter, the Sandy Hook shooter, the loon who shot Gabby Giffords -- they didn't have clear motives either other than extreme mental illness. What possible purpose could a "planned" attack of this sort serve? I have no idea what people are even implying. To help Trump?? It won't help Trump remotely as it's combined with the horrible Puerto Rico news. This is all negative. If Trump and co "planned" something it would look like an Islamic terrorist attack not a lone white male gun nut. Help Dems? How could they organize something like this -- plus gun laws are not going to change. I really don't get the whole Jones "conspiracy" vibe here. I think this is kind of a denial honestly. This guy was wealthy and legally acquired all of his guns. He was firing with volleys of gun fire. Those people were trapped in that space.

[joeybee12]

7. Probably needs to keep talking about it to try and understand

Doesn't seem strange to me

[dhol82]

10. I don't know

If you had a brother, who always seemed fine and then suddenly popped, you would probably be a little weirded out also.
The guy was a CPA and a real estate mogul who had major assets. Not surprising that those who knew him are all surprised. I would like to hear what the girlfriend (currently in the Philippines) has to say.
In addition, there has been info out there that his behavior changed significantly in the last several months.
The brother making the statements lives in Florida. The shooter lived in Nevada. Not surprising that they didn't see each other often.

[Honeycombe8]

15. I understand all that. Maybe you haven't seen the multiple press conferences with

the changes of clothing.

One press conf.---okay.
Second one...okaaaaay, I guess. (But you already did that, but okay.)
Third one....well, something seems a little off here. 15 minutes of fame? Or...???

There have been no other families of shooters who have acted similarly. It's strange behavior. Esp since he hadn't seen his brother in a while.

[dhol82]

20. Ok

So the guy is obviously freaked out.
Maybe he's afraid for his own reputation?
I'll bet most of his friends and neighbors don't know about the father.

[Mariana]

35. It's hot and humid where he is, and stressed out people sweat

more than usual. He changed clothes because the ones he was wearing got wet and nasty, most likely.

[octoberlib]

12. He hasn't seen his brother in 10 years, so I wonder how much of this stuff is accurate.

[HipChick]

18. I am not going to swear for any of my siblings..and what they are up to

If I haven't seen them for a decade...

[octoberlib]

21. Me neither. People can change a lot in 10 years. The shooter may have been a real estate

multi-millionaire but it sounds like he was a compulsive gambler.

[bettyellen]

36. I believe he said he helped him move in to Vegas last year? Maybe it was hadn't seen...

in ten years, not hasn't? There was also a bit where he knew he had a few guns and a rifle but nothing automatic.

[Blue_true]

39. What I read is the brother in Florida said that he had not seen

his brother in six months, but got a text from him two weeks ago.

I live in the same town as my brothers and haven't seen one in a month because both of us have business issues to attend to.

[octoberlib]

44. I think I have the brothers confused. There's another brother in California or somewhere that hasn't

seen him in 10 years. My bad.

[bettyellen]

46. It happens! I know his ex wife in Cali hasn't seen him in many years either. Either way, what a

fucking poor excuse for a human. I wonder if he amassed most of this collection in the last year. Nevada's AG is not enforcing the gun checks initiative that was passed. I hope they force him out of office for that.

[RhodeIslandOne]

54. What check would he have failed?

He's got a squeaky clean record.

I bet he's owned most of these guns for years, which is far more frightening. Once again proving you're a law abiding gun owner until one day when you aren't.

[bettyellen]

56. That's not the point, really. Not enforcing the laws makes crap like modifying the guns permissible

too. its discouraging when small gun control battles are won yet the LE won't enforce them. That hinders further efforts.

[Baconator]

16. He's probably freaking the fuck out...

Highs and lows...

Dude needs a lawyer and a drink probably...

[Honeycombe8]

17. He doesn't need a lawyer, I would guess. But may meditation and yoga, or a loooong walk.nt

[Blue_true]

41. I was think that he should hire a spokesperson.

He was in business with his brother and maybe can afford a mouthpiece.

But I must admit, if one of my brothers even killed one person, I would be freaked out of my skull, I don't know how I would act or what I would say.

[Alea]

22. Seemed normal to me given what had happened

He said his phone started ringing shortly after the shooting with calls from LVPD and had been up all night. Probably took a break from reporters and took a shower and changed.

As for the interviews, the press is relentless when it comes to getting interviews from victim family members. I no he's not a victim or victim family member but as a poster said above, he just found out his brother is dead, and a mass murderer. They want you on camera before you have time to even take in all that has happened and want you to break down on camera. It's disgusting, and they tell you all kinds of bs to get you to talk, like "people need to hear your story" and "you'll be helping people by telling your story".

You're like a fish out of water during one of the worst days of your life and they are sticking a mike in your face until you cry on camera. They'll do it this time too.

[Honeycombe8]

24. Once yes. But then....

Took a shower and changed for a second press conf.

And then...

Took a shower and changed for a third press conference.

I'm not saying it's wrong. I just thought it was .... odd. No other family of a shooter has ever done anything like that. And his behavior is off. He doesn't seem upset.

It could be he's in meltdown mode and not behaving normally and wants to show people he's normal. Or it could be he's enjoying his 15 minutes (I mean several hours) of fame.

How long until he makes the pundit circuit?

[highplainsdem]

30. "How long until he makes the pundit circuit?" Are you kidding?

[Blue_true]

42. Have you been in Florida, outside under bright lights?

During the sunlight? Try it sometime, you may see why he would need a shower and to change clothes.

[HopeAgain]

25. This man was part of a family headed by a psychopathic

Bankrobber on the lamb. Yes something is off.

Duh!

[easttexaslefty]

26. Shock.

People don't always react rationally when they are in shock

[FSogol]

27. Agreed. n/t

[Baitball Blogger]

29. I don't know. I would allow for shock to set it.

His phone was going off non-stop so he really hasn't had a chance to retreat and reflect.

On another vein, what really was normal for this family? What kind of conversations did they have? Did any of them ever involve the usual reliance on violence to resolve world problems? Because I can tell you, if they are Republicans from Central Florida, THAT kind of conversation is normal.

[Crunchy Frog]

31. I don't blame the brother, I blame the media.

It's hardly surprising that the brother is in shock, and rambling. It's the media that's exploiting the situation.

[DK504]

33. The brother said he felt like he had been shot and

and understood how bad everyone felt.


Uh, WTF? I think he's a bit off.

[LovingA2andMI]

34. The Brother Is Seeking Attention From This Tragedy -- Which Is Sick Behavior....

The Media Should Not Give This Idiot The Time of Day From This Point Forward. Focus on the VICTIMS and INJURED of Stephen Paddock's Actions.

[SharonClark]

43. Leave the guy alone. You have no idea what he's going through.

[Not Ruth]

37. If he has not seen his brother for 10 years, something is wrong with either him or his brother

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

45. I haven't seen my brother in almost 7 years. There's nothing wrong with

either of us. He lives a considerable distance from me, and for various reasons it has not been convenient for either of us to visit. We keep in touch by email and an occasional phone call. We have not had a falling out; we are fine; and neither of us is likely to commit mass murder. But if he did I'd be freaking out a lot like the shooter's brother. Maybe there was a good reason they hadn't seen each other for a long time but it sounds like they did occasionally contact each other. If there's more to it, we are likely to learn of it eventually but I wouldn't read too much into that fact.

What is weird is the really enormous gun collection. I have also read that the shooter was not friendly to his neighbors and very much kept to himself. So here's another angry loner with lots of guns. But it's not clear whether the brother was aware of the gun collection.

[Not Ruth]

48. He had several houses and several planes, not hard to imagine that he had more than a few guns

He seemed to have an excessive lifestyle. 27 different addresses!

To think, most people get through life with just one house and one plane.

[ProfessorGAC]

91. When Do I Get My Plane?

I don't have one yet! Did you gets your plane in the mail? Good line, NR.

[kcr]

63. Well there's obviously something wrong with the guy who mass murdered 50+ people, but

People get estranged from loved ones all the time, especially if they've moved long distances. It's incredibly common and by itself doesn't mean there's anything wrong with a person. It's sad, but sometimes people grow apart.

[anneboleyn]

83. Oh, cmon! There are millions of siblings, etc who are estranged for all sorts of reasons. Hell we

have relatives who won't speak to siblings due to politics and not anything remotely "crazy."

[defacto7]

49. All I can say is that he's probably scared.

[Raine]

57. He's probably in shock

cut him a little slack..

[dembotoz]

62. some handle their 15 minutes of fame better than others

instant celeb feeling the need to perform

same script over and over

some reporters better than others....

like the movie groundhog day except he is not bill murray

[MoonRiver]

67. There be secrets in this family, guaranteed.

[RobinA]

71. No Doubt

The situation with the Dad could not have paved the way for healthy family dynamics.

[MoonRiver]

72. I hope FBI sleuths can figure this bizarre situation out!

[sharedvalues]

75. John Schindler: be skeptical of early causes

Excellent read
http://observer.com/2017/10/lacking-evidence-some-claim-las-vegas-was-a-false-flag-operation/

[MoonRiver]

90. Thanks, excellent, but disturbing, read indeed.

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

76. Were they estranged or not?

First reports say they were?

[panader0]

84. Methinks he doth protesteth too much....

[LuckyCharms]

87. Oh man I was just going to post that and scrolled down and saw this...

Yes, he does not seem sincere...he's trying to convince people of something.