OPINION:
ISIS terrorists sent out a message on Monday saying the shooter in the Las Vegas massacre had converted to Islam some months back, and had committed the shootings as a “soldier” of its terror circle.
The group didn’t provide any proof of the claim.
But it sent out the statement via its Aamaq news agency just a couple hours after dozens were killed and more than 500 wounded by shooter Stephen Craig Paddock, a 64-year-old white male who police said hailed from Mequite, Nevada, and who had a clean criminal record.
ISIS didn’t name Paddock, but said he had nevertheless “executed the operation in response to calls to target countries of the coalition” fighting against its members in Iraq and Syria, The Associated Press reported.
Local law enforcement say Paddock acted alone, and killed himself after committing the “lone wolf” attack. Homeland Security Department officials also said there was no “specific credible threat” that further attacks were coming.
And ISIS, it should be noted, often takes attacks conducted by others and claims them as their own.
For instance, ISIS said an attack on a casino in the Philippines earlier this year that left dozens dead was carried out by one of its own. But investigators later found the attacker was actually a Filipino gambler who faced heavy debts and that the killings were part of his botched robbery attempt to steal money.
At the same time, ISIS has called for Muslims in the United States and other points West to carry out jihad attacks against civilians. In May, the terror group released a video that contained images of iconic Law Vegas spots — and that called on Islamic followers to attack civilians.
Something to watch, that’s all — particularly if law enforcement learns Paddock did indeed convert to Islam some time ago.
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