The role misogyny plays in mass shootings

Las Vegas Shooter Was Known To Verbally Abuse His Girlfriend In Public

In the hours since authorities identified Stephen Paddock as the lone gunman behind the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, family and neighbors have described him as an unremarkable, apolitical retiree who liked to golf and gamble and had money to blow.

Now, Starbucks employees who served cappuccinos to Paddock at a Mesquite, Nevada, casino have shared another character trait they observed: He treated his girlfriend like crap.

We can’t say for sure that Paddock was a habitual domestic abuser ― a few anecdotes are not necessarily proof of a pattern of behavior. And we don’t have many answers yet; his two former wives have not made public statements, and his girlfriend is currently out of the country.

But this description of him verbally abusing his girlfriend does raise an important question about how Paddock treated those closest to him. So far, authorities have identified very few indications that he had a capacity for major violence.

If history is our guide, this is one clue worth paying attention to.