Arms dealer?

30  2017-10-04 by hyon420

Theory: Paddock was an arms dealer who laundered his money in mindless gambling (video poker/slots) for the past 20 years. He had all those guns because he was going to sell them in that Vegas suite. However, he was set up by someone/group who planned the chaotic shooting event. Key items to look at revolve around his private plane (transporting arms?) and who/when the suite was booked. It was likely specifically chosen, so it may really matter who booked it and when. I also wonder if the properties he owned were partially used as warehouses for guns. His background would give him "defense" contacts and an understanding of the margins of arms trade.

22 comments

Do arms dealers typically show up with dozens and dozens of pre-loaded high capacity magazines? That seems like a pretty risky thing to hand to the person who could immediately turn them against you.

Perhaps he didn't bring the ammo... I've seen enough movies to know the buyer will likely shoot the seller in a gun transaction, but in real life it may be better to keep your contacts alive.

Why would an arms dealer sell weapons he bought legally under his own name? That just seems like bad business.

Maybe he needs a "floor model" for each type he sells to demo... Honestly, I didn't realize he bought them all in his name - if that's the case, it waters down my theory.

And not to burst your bubble, but this "theory" has been posted a ridiculous under of times already.

Each time, the question of why he would buy them in the city and under his real name he planned to shoot up. Critical thinking really ruins this narrative.

I think its a total of 45 something guns, bought in several different states over time.

That's the narrative but how easy is it for those controlling the narrative to bend the truth here? Who has access to the guns and serials? We just have to trust the narrative here. How can we get the serial numbers and look them up in a database, preferably an older db? Perhaps dated sales receipts. Perhaps we can find the people who remember selling them to him? People who remember him at a shooting range? If they were his guns, he'd be totally confident they work.

Nobody said he was a good arms dealer.

But he managed to get away with it for years making millions?

You're assuming he actually is an arms dealer.

No, you were assuming it since you said "nobody said he was a good arms dealer".

That was a jooke

If the arms dealer was an undercover federal agent that was then going to track the weapons back to the targets hideout

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Your theory could be a valid scenario when you consider situations such as the government's relationship with the Sinaloa Cartel.

When they interviewed an employee at the gun shop, he said that he has dealt with Paddock "50,000" times. Paddock had a series of federal jobs over the years (IRS, Lockheed). He probably has security clearance. It's not like he was just an average citizen buying guns under his name.

If the black market was considered a nation, it would be the world's second largest economic superpower. Pretty sure our government agencies are involved in this underground economy.

Also, what would be his incentive to hoard all these guns? Apparently he checked into the hotel days earlier with the intent to commit this mass murder. You would think that he wouldn't want to blow his cover before he could execute his plan. Logically you would think that he would bring a weapon or 2 for backup....but why 42?!

Just remember that any gun can be made a ghost gun, that’s why they have pushed microstamping which is when a bullet casing is marked with an id number unique to the gun. If he sold them, he could take them to some one (like that dude in Modesto or Stockton forgot which he’s in deep shit now) and have them ghosted and a DIAS installed for covert ops.

Well he certainly wasn't making a living playing video poker, that's for damn sure.

Why would an arms dealer try to book rooms that looked over other outdoor concerts in the weeks prior to this event?

In the context of this theory, Paddock's role was to book a room and bring the guns (for a sale or whatever) but NOT go on a shooting spree. That was executed by another party for some other purpose. Perhaps the specific room was booked by someone else or maybe he was directed to specifically ask for that room.

how does someone go about laundering money through slots and video poker?

Fed relationship with Casino. Machines set up for him to win on. Money laundered easy and Casino gets a cut.