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Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock had ties to Florida

Posted at 9:29 AM, Oct 02, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-02 20:02:14-04

64-year-old Stephen Paddock's history of stops reads like a roadmap with his time spent primarily out west in Nevada, Texas, and California.

Records show he purchased more than a dozen properties over the years.

But in 2013, Paddock who was a retired accountant and held a private pilot's license also left a footprint in Florida.  He purchased a 2-bedroom home in a 55+ community in Melbourne. However, Florida Todaysaid the property is actually in Viera, Fla.

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Neighbors say the high-stakes gambler didn't spend much time there.

Just two years after he bought the home for just under $250,000, Paddock sold it at a loss of $11,000.

Paddock's time in the Sunshine State is perhaps most significant for what we couldn't find.

He has no criminal history in the state, not even a traffic ticket.

There are no Florida court cases he's named in, no visits from police, no known membership or licenses in the state.

His brother Eric lives in Orlando, according to the Orlando Sentinel,which quoted him as saying he was "completely dumbfounded" by the incident.

The newspaper said he made a statement to police.

Paddock's niece Nicole Paddock lives in East Orlando, according to News 6 in Orlando. A reporter who spoke to her said she was "shocked and disturbed" to learn that her uncle was identified as the gunman.

Stephen Paddock, 64, was found dead in a hotel room with as many as 10 firearms, police said. They think he killed himself before police broke into his room.

Authorities say that 515 people were taken to hospitals and 58 of those are dead, including an off-duty Las Vegas police officer. His name was not immediately released. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.