Trump says Las Vegas shooter's 'wires were crossed pretty badly in his brain'
"I guess a lot of people think they understand what happened, but he was a demented, sick individual," Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. "The wires were crossed pretty badly in his brain. Extremely badly in his brain. And it's a very sad event."
The remarks were Trump's most extensive specifically about the 64-year-old gunman, Stephen Paddock, who carried out the deadly attack from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel on the Las Vegas strip. Paddock opened fire on a crowd of more than 20,000 attending a country music festival below, killing 58 and injuring almost 550 others, before fatally shooting himself.
Despite Trump's comments, authorities have not released information about Paddock's mental status. Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said he is awaiting the results of forensic analyses of the gunman's body, including a neuropathological examination of his brain tissue, according to The Associated Press.
Trump visited Las Vegas on October 4, three days after the shooting, to meet with survivors, law enforcement officers, first responders, and families of victims.