On the same day that the Las Vegas killer’s girlfriend was denying any knowledge of the massacre, the head honcho of the “happiest place on Earth” was expressing outrage over political inaction to stop gun violence.
Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger was quoted by the Los Angeles Times as saying his company spent Monday after the Sunday night attack trying to determine the whereabouts of approximately 70 Disney workers who were in Las Vegas.
It turned out that many were at the deadly country music concert, and one employee was killed while a number were wounded. A total of about 58 people died and hundreds injured.
“These are incidents that touch everybody,” Iger said. “Where is the outrage here? This is a huge crisis for our country. We should demand a dialogue about this from our politicians.”
Iger, speaking at a Vanity Fair business “summit” at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, said he plans to retire from running Disney in 2019. He declined to be specific about a potential post-Disney political career.
Iger spoke Wednesday in Beverly Hills, and on that same day a few miles west at the federal building on Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood, the girlfriend of the Las Vegas killer met with FBI investigators and then told reporters through her attorney that she had no advance knowledge of Stephen Paddock’s plans to carry out what became the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
Marilou Danley, 62, landed at Los Angeles International Airport Tuesday night on a flight from the Philippines and was met by federal agents at the airport. She had been deemed a person of interest in connection with Paddock’s shooting spree, which killed 58 concertgoers and injured 489 others at the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival in Las Vegas.
Paddock, 64, killed himself in his 32nd-floor room of the Mandalay Bay hotel, located across the street from the outdoor concert venue, before he could be taken into custody.
Danley’s attorney, Matthew Lombard, told reporters outside the Federal Building in West Los Angeles, where she was interviewed by the FBI Thursday, that Danley had not spoken publicly earlier because “it’s important that we respect the investigative process.
“We wanted the FBI and the Las Vegas Police Department to have the first opportunity to talk to my client, Marilou Danley, about everything she knew about Stephen.”
Lombard read a statement from Danley, in which she said she was “devastated” by the carnage Paddock unleashed Sunday night and had had no idea he was planning such an attack.
“I knew Stephen Paddock as a kind, caring, quiet man,” Danley said in the statement. “I loved him and hoped for a quiet future together with him. He never said anything to me or took any action that I was aware of that I understood in any way to be a warning that something horrible like this was going to happen.”
Danley said Paddock told her about two weeks ago that he had found her a cheap flight to the Philippines and he told her to go visit her family.
“Like all Filipinos abroad, I was excited to go home and see family and friends,” she said. “While there, he wired me money, which he said was for me to buy a house for me and my family. I was grateful, but honestly, I was worried that first the unexpected trip home and then the money was a way of breaking up with me. It never occurred to me in any way whatsoever that he was planning violence against anyone.”
Danley said she voluntarily flew back to the United States because she knew investigators wanted to speak to her “and I wanted to talk to them.”
“I will cooperate fully with their investigation. Anything I can do to help ease suffering and help in any way, I will do. Please respect my privacy and my family’s privacy,” she said.
Lombard did not take questions from reporters after reading the statement, and it was unclear if Danley would be remaining in Los Angeles or returning to Las Vegas or the Philippines.
President Donald Trump visited Las Vegas Wednesday and met with survivors of the shooting and law enforcement authorities who responded to the scene.
The massacre has prompted what L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell calls heightened vigilance by Southland law enforcement. Consistent with the new conditions, fans attending Friday’s Coldplay concert at the Rose Bowl will see an enhanced security presence.
The concert begins at 6:45 p.m., with gates opening at 5:30 p.m., and officials strongly recommend attendees arrive no later than 5 p.m., according to Pasadena police. All general parking lots open at 3 p.m. and close 90 minutes after the event ends.
“Spectator safety and security is paramount,” Pasadena Police Department Chief Phillip Sanchez said.
“In light of recent events, there are no specific, credible threats related to the Coldplay concert at the Rose Bowl Stadium. The Pasadena Police Department will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners from state and federal agencies to evaluate threat levels and ensure the safety of everyone in attendance.”
The enhanced law enforcement presence will be visible in the lower Arroyo parking lots and the stadium itself, police said.
As is standard at the venue, all bags entering the stadium need to be transparent and patrons should arrive early to be sure they are seated when the show begins.
A complete list of stadium rules and prohibited items is available at rosebowlstadium,com.
—City News Service