Is gunman’s companion Filipino-American?

MANILA, Philippines — In the wake of the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival near the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada that killed at least 50 people and injured more than 400 others early morning yesterday, the Las Vegas Sheriff identified Marilou Danley as a “person of interest” and released her name and photograph at a news conference yesterday following the attack.

Although the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMP) later cleared her of involvement in the shooting, there were initial speculations that Danley, who reportedly traveled with gunman Stephen Craig Paddock, was a Filipina — or at least a Filipino-American.

Police initially described Danley as a “4’11” Asian woman,” without specifying her nationality, and a “companion” of the gunman identified as Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, who fired from the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay hotel located just outside the concert venue.    

The rest of what is known about Danley come from her Facebook and LinkedIn accounts that were taken down less than an hour after her name and image were made public.

Danley, according to her FB profile, is a “Proud mom and grandma who lives life to the fullest.”

Her profile page also showed numerous photographs of herself and with her loved ones, and comments of her friends on her appearance.

One photo even showed her carrying a Caucasian baby girl, with an older woman sitting in the foreground and a younger woman leaning on to Danley’s back.

In another photo showing her posing by a beach with the Burj Al Arab in Dubai in the background, she wrote in the comment thread: “…Kuha Sa Jumeira Beach, Dubai,” the first two words of which is Filipino for “Shot at,” and “That’s a beautiful City except it’s hot. Will be back there next year to visit my niece.”