HOUSTON – Retired Senior Special Agent Greg Alvarez, who analyzed firearms for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for 25 years, said the Las Vegas shooting could have been much worse.
"We're lucky he wasn't more trained,” Alvarez said. “The casualty rate would have been double, at least, for someone who had current military training or police department training."
Investigators found 42 firearms between Steven Paddock’s home and hotel room. ATF agents on the ground will first trace the weapons, Alvarez said, in what is called an "urgent trace."
"They're immediately calling manufacturers. They're calling distributors,” Alvarez said. “You just pick up the phone or you send an agent out there to retrieve the paperwork."
The ATF has a database of legal machine guns, or fully automatic firearms, built before May 1986. Since that time, the sale of new machine guns has been illegal.
Alvarez said it's also possible that Paddock bought semi-automatic rifles and altered them.
“There are publications out there that show, step by step, how to do it,” Alvarez said. “There's also videos online that show how to convert guns to full auto, both AR-15 style and AK-47 style.”
Two Nevada gun stores told NBC News they sold Paddock firearms in recent months and years, and found no reason at the time to deny him those guns.
Nevada and Texas gun laws are similar. As long as the buyer passes background checks, there is no limit on firearm and ammo sales.
