The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed on Monday that the man who opened fire on concertgoers in Las Vegas, killing at least 58 people, was acting on behalf of the group, but offered no evidence.
The terror group said in a pair of statements released by its pseudo-news agency Amaq, citing anonymous sources, that the gunman, identified by police as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, converted to Islam several months ago and carried out the attack, “in response to calls to target states of the coalition” battling ISIS.
The statement offered no proof of a link with Paddock, nor did it identify him by name.
A U.S. official told CBS News on Monday that intelligence and law enforcement officials were aware of the ISIS claim, but with the investigation into Paddock’s motives continuing and his past being scrutinized by multiple agencies, there were no early signs of any ties to radical Islamic groups or signs of radicalization.
The FBI now says the shooter who killed 58 people and injured 515 others at a Las Vegas concert had no connection to an international terrorist group. The announcement from Special Agent in Charge Aaron Rouse at a news conference Monday comes after the ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack without providing evidence.
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