More than a month before the Las Vegas mass shooting, a man believed to be the shooter booked a hotel room overlooking yet another popular music festival, the hotel has confirmed.
The Blackstone Hotel told The Independent that a man named Stephen Paddock had booked a room during the Lollapolooza festival, but failed to show up.
"We can confirm that a reservation was made under the name Stephen Paddock, however authorities have not confirmed that this is the same person as the Las Vegas shooter," a spokesperson for the hotel said. "We are cooperating with the authorities on this matter."
Senior law enforcement officials told NBC News that Paddock had rented a room at a Chicago hotel, and also researched locations in Boston.
The Chicago Police Department said officers were aware of the reports and were looking into them.
"We are aware of recent media reports concerning Chicago and the Blackstone hotel and have been in communication with our federal partners," CPD spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted.
He added: "As you saw earlier this week the city conducts extensive public safety planning and training around major events, in close coordination with our law enforcement partners, to ensure public safety."
TMZ said Paddock booked a room across from the concert venue, Grant Park, starting on the first day of the festival and ending on the last. The room would have given Paddock a bird's-eye view of the concert, similar to the perch he used when firing into the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas.
An estimated 100,000 people attended each day of Lollapalooza, which ran from August 3 through 6. Malia Obama, daughter of former President Barack Obama, was also in attendance.
Paddock also booked a room near another Las Vegas concert a week before the shooting, police confirmed. The retired accountant rented multiple condos at the Ogden, a luxury condominium tower with a view of the Life is Beautiful alternative music festival.
Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police still did not know why the additional rooms had been booked, but suggested Paddock may have been doing pre-surveillance for his attack. Police have yet to comment on why he scouted the locations in Boston and Chicago.
Shortly after the Life is Beautiful festival ended, Paddock checked into a 32nd-story suite at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Over the next four days, he stockpiled more than 20 weapons and installed cameras in and around the room.
On 1 October, he opened fire on the country music concert taking place below. The attacked killed at least 58 people and injured more than 500, making it the deadliest mass shooting in US history.
Police are still searching for a motive in the attack.
