Stephen Paddock’s guns destroyed, land sold, hearing confirms
All property owned by Stephen Paddock, who fatally shot 60 Las Vegas concertgoers in 2017, has been sold, and all of his guns were destroyed or taken out of circulation by the FBI, an attorney confirmed during a court hearing on Thursday.
District Judge Gloria Sturman ordered the majority of guns be destroyed during a September hearing regarding Paddock’s assets. Paddock opened fire on more than 22,000 people at the Route 91 Harvest festival on Oct. 1, 2017.
The shooting initially left 58 people dead and hundreds more injured, with two victims dying of their injuries more than two years after the shooting. The money from selling the shooter’s assets is going to 61 families, according to attorney Alice Denton, including one person who died by suicide and was not named in the court papers.
“This is not intended in any way to compensate for the loss of these lives,” Sturman said. “It can’t.”
A motion filed by Denton said Paddock’s total estate was worth $1.4 million, including a house in Mesquite, seven acres in Henderson and property in Reno. Denton said $1.3 million will be split equally among the 61 families and mailed by certified check.
An anonymous donor paid $62,000, the value of the 49 guns recovered, “on the condition they be destroyed and taken out of circulation.”
The FBI confirmed on Feb. 28, according to the motion, that 36 guns were destroyed and 13 were being held by the FBI. Paddock’s mother signed over her right to the money, asking that it go to the families of the victims.
After Sturman officially closed the case following Thursday’s seven-minute hearing, Denton sighed in relief in the hallway of the Regional Justice Center.
“We have been fighting big companies and engaging in litigation for six long years,” Denton said. “This has been very emotional because we have felt that our duty is to help the victims and the Las Vegas community to recover from this.”
Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.