On October 1st, Stephen Paddock was on the seventh night of his stay at the Mandalay Bay hotel. It was on this night that Paddock opened fire from his hotel room taking the lives of 57 concert goers and injuring hundreds at the country music festival, Route 91 Harvest Festival,  across the road from the Mandalay Bay. His actions resulted in another large mass shooting in the United States.

It was on September 25th that Stephen Paddock checked in to the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. This act alone was not unusual for Paddock, as he was an avid poker player and visited Las Vegas and other casino hotspots quite frequently.  What is unusual was his recent history with booking hotel rooms.  Months prior to the shooting, Paddock booked two hotel rooms at the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago during the 4 day span of the city’s annual music festival, Lollapalooza, where more than 300,000 people were in attendance.  One hotel employee stated that Paddock was aggressive when requesting he get a room with a view of the festival, claiming it was where he met his wife.  No one by the name of “Stephen Paddock” checked into the hotel. There are rumors he was looking into hotels in the Boston area, as well.

While newsworthy tragedies seem larger than life, one can never know where they will strike next or who will be affected. As going to concerts is a popular part of high school life, students may think twice about what venues they choose to go to. Possibly picking those in more remote areas or far from tall buildings.  Hopefully measures can be taken to prevent an event like this from happening again, but putting more thought into a concert venue may make a world of difference.