The New York Times and the Associated Press are among six news outlets suing the local Las Vegas law enforcement for information about the deadly October 1 mass shooting, perpetrated by Stephen Paddock.
Craig Fiegener, a reporter at Las Vegas NBC affiliate KSNV News 3, told CrimeOnline that his station is joined by CNN, ABC News, the Associated Press, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times in suing the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police department for public information connected to the shooting, which killed 58 people and injured hundreds more.
Paddock is believed to have taken his own life with a gunshot to the head before law enforcement breached his hotel suite, but authorities have not released any coroner or medical examiner reports confirming his cause of death.
CrimeOnline is awaiting the court filing, but Fiegener said that the lawsuit is asking for a number of items, including Stephen Paddock’s death certificate, confirmation of Paddock’s cause and manner of his death, 911 calls made the night of the shooting, investigation logs, records of witness interviews, and any bodycam footage captured by police or SWAT officers who went to the 32nd floor after Paddock began firing at a crowd of concertgoers from his hotel suite at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
The news outlets are also asking that 14 search warrants served to Mandalay Bay, Google, and Verizon, presumably seeking physical evidence and phone and internet search records connected to the shooting, to be unsealed.
“There’s no reason for these to remain sealed,” Fiegener said.
Speaking by phone to CrimeOnline, the Las Vegas-based reporter expressed his frustration and disbelief with the lack of public information about the investigation, which is now over a month old. Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo, who has represented local law enforcement in press briefings on the investigation, gave his last news conference on October 13 — and he did not take any questions from reporters.
“When police said on October 13 that they would not be talking anymore, that was shocking to me,” Fiegener said.
“Even if you don’t have anything new to say … Just to go silent, literally silent, on the worst mass shooting in modern history is unheard of.”
[Feature image: Associated Press]
