The Las Vegas Massacre: The Anatomy of a Catastrophic Security Failure

Less than two weeks ago, we watched and heard the horror come to life as the news broke that killer Stephen Paddock (the killer) had opened fire from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on a crowd of concertgoers attending the Route 91 Country Music Festival in Las Vegas. When the shooting was over, the killer was found dead by police in his room on the 32nd floor from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. We have seen numerous press reports that have included official press conferences, witness interviews, and most of all a lot of speculation and diverse “facts” about this incident.

What we think we know at this point is at least 58 people were killed and more than 498 others were injured as a result of the killer’s roughly 12-minute shooting spree. Other press reports put the death toll at 59 with 527 injured with an 11-minute shooting spree. We have also been told the killer had 17 weapons in his hotel room and thousands of rounds of ammunition with him for those firearms. Police reports have stated the killer had more than 50 pounds of explosives and 1,600 rounds of ammunition in his car. Now, nearly two weeks later, we know little more than we did the day after the shooting. We do not know the killer’s motive. We only know he has been described as a regular everyday guy with no prior criminal history.

As the news unfolded immediately following this massacre and the reports came out about what reportedly had occurred, I understood that the killer opened fire a few minutes after 10:00 p.m. Las Vegas time and the shooting lasted for about 11 minutes. At about the 11-minute mark, the police arrived at the killer’s hotel door at which time the shooting from the killer’s room stopped. It was reported that SWAT made a tactical entry into the killer’s room some time later where they found the killer dead on the floor. I also understood that the killer had shot a Mandalay Bay security guard in the leg through his door right at or after the killer starting firing down on the crowd. The Mandalay Bay security guard, who was unarmed and not authorized to carry a firearm by the State of Nevada, was identified as “Larry” Jesus Campos, an employee of Contemporary Services Corporation (CSC) and not Mandalay Bay. CSC is a company whose staff wears yellow t-shirts and holds itself out as a company that is the “leader in Crowd Management and Event Security.”

Even in the very early stages of this news, I was confused how it was that the killer could have been allowed to keep shooting seemingly unhampered for 11 to 12 minutes (depending on which news report is accurate). My first thought was, “Where the heck was hotel security” while all this shooting was happening and while people were dying? I thought for sure the Mandalay Bay armed security officers, if there were any on duty at the time, would have quickly responded and neutralized the shooter. The news got worse and even more mystifying when the Las Vegas Metro Police revised the timeline of events. The revision in the timeline focused on when the Mandalay Bay security guard was shot in the leg by the killer. The original report stating the killer had shot a Mandalay Bay security guard in the leg right at or after the killer starting firing down on the crowd was changed.

The revised timeline placed this event six minutes before the killer starting firing down on the crowd versus at or after the killer began shooting at the crowd. It seems the original and inaccurate timeline was provided to the police by Mandalay Bay. What this corrected timeline meant is the killer was able to shoot the Mandalay Bay security guard and then start firing on the crowd of concertgoers six minutes later. This revised timeline replaced the original police response time of 11 or 12 minutes to 17 or 18 total minutes. My initial confusion about how it was possible the killer could fire unimpeded for 11 or 12 minutes turned to right out shock when it was possible for the killer to fire unchecked for 17 or 18 minutes from start to finish. I kept coming back to the nagging question of the whereabouts of the Mandalay Bay armed security officers on duty during this nearly 18-minute period of time, from when the Mandalay Bay security guard was shot in the leg to when the police arrived at the killer’s room.

The answer is appalling because of what we know so far. According to Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, the police did not know security guard Campos had been shot until after they arrived at the scene. This is because the Mandalay Bay staff did not call them when the unarmed security guard Campos was shot and only reported it internally at the time. In fact, Sheriff Lombardo stated that the Mandalay Bay staff only called the Las Vegas police after the killer had already begun firing on the crowd.

There is no evidence whatsoever that the Mandalay Bay security personnel ever responded to this incident beginning with the time when unarmed security guard Campos was shot, only reporting it internally, to the time when the police arrived 17 or 18 minutes later. This lack of an immediate and assertive security response is incomprehensible and wholly indefensible. At the time when unarmed security guard Campos reported he had been shot, Mandalay Bay security should have notified the police and immediately dispatched an armed security response team to the then-shooter’s room. The armed security team should have been on-site at the killer’s room on the 32nd floor within a couple of minutes. After moving the injured security guard Campos to a place of safety and rendering first aid to him, the armed security team leadership should have made contact with the shooter while communicating with inbound police units. This would have likely prevented the killer from opening fire on the crowd. Had the shooter opened fire on the crowd in spite of the presence of the armed security team, the armed security team then would have needed to conduct a tactical entry in to the shooter’s room and neutralize the shooter. If the Mandalay Bay’s security was unable or unwilling to do this, then the Mandalay Bay had the wrong security program.

This was a rare instance where private security had the real chance to prevent an actual incident with real life safety consequences. Instead, the simple truth is the Mandalay Bay’s security failed miserably. They failed to ensure only armed security officers were in the hotel, they failed to respond when unarmed security guard Campos reported he had been shot, they failed to notify the police that Campos had been shot, and they failed to do anything to protect the concertgoers as well as the other hotel guests. Had the Mandalay Bay’s security simply succeeded during this critical time, it is highly likely that 59 people now dead would be alive today and 527 other people could have averted being injured. Shame on the Mandalay Bay’s owners and managers for failing to have a properly trained and equipped security team on-site. The Mandalay Bay’s security was literally missing in action at the time when they were needed the most. In the final analysis, what was the chance for private security to shine the brightest by having and following a rapid response plan instead turned out to be one of the darkest moments for private security in the modern era because of the catastrophic failures.

Tom M. Conley is the President & C.E.O. of The Conley Group, Inc., which is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. He has earned three university degrees and 13 professional certifications. He is a former civilian police captain and is a senior-level commissioned officer in the United States Navy (Reserve Component) where he is the recipient of more than 40 medals and awards including 10 personal decorations. In the U. S. Navy, he has served in a number of law enforcement, criminal investigation and information security leadership positions and is a certified U.S. Department of Defense counter terrorism instructor.