Federal Officials Meet Las Vegas Shooter's Companion After Return to US

Companion of the Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock returned to the United States from the Philippines and immediately met with federal officials on Tuesday night.

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Immigration bureau spokeswoman Maria Antoinette Mangrobang confirmed to AFP that 62-years-old Marilou Danley flew out of Manila airport for Los Angeles.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Joseph Lombardo, on Tuesday, confirmed that she was considered a “person of interest.” Police officials said they are eager to question Danley to gather more information on the killer.

Philippines' ABS-CBN News reported that immigration officials confirmed that Danley arrived in the country last month, then left for Hong Kong on Sept. 22 and returned on Sept 25.

Danley moved to the United States two decades ago from Australia where she holds citizenship.

"There are reports her ID was used for booking the hotel or some such detail," Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said.

"Australia will support the U.S. authorities in their investigation in whatever way we can, but we have not had contact with Marilou Danley directly."

The Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said the Federal Bureau of Investigation requested assistance in locating Danley.

"Danley arrived in the Philippines last month, and then there was a wire transfer to her account for $100,000 from Stephen," NBI spokesman Nick Suarez told the news agency. "The FBI has coordinated with the Philippine office of the Interpol to look for her."

Suarez explained that though Danley is a "person of interest", it does not necessarily mean she is considered a suspect.

Various people who had interacted with Danley over the years shared their experiences, with the former casino worker, in a New York Times report.

“She’s probably one of the most happy, outgoing, full-of-life people I’ve ever known,” Danley’s former stepdaughter, Dionne Waltrip, said. “Everyone who has ever met her likes her.”

Connie Allred attended Zumba classes with Danley. She said the diminutive woman was a warm “world traveler,” who went abroad several times a year.

“She was always gone,” Allred said. “She’s a hard one to keep track of. We’d be in Zumba and then all of a sudden she would say, ‘I’m leaving for a couple months,’ and then she’d be back and then she’s traveling other places.”

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Eric, the shooter's brother, said Paddock doted on Danley.

“She was probably one of the only people I’ve ever seen that he’d go out of his way to do a little thing for,” he said. “He went out of his way to be nice to her. This is not something Steve does — go out of his way.”

He added: “Steve expected people to wait on him for the most part. But he waited on her sometimes. He would do what she wanted to do. He would defer to her in the way that he wouldn’t to the rest of humanity. Even me.”

Stephen Paddock killed 58 people and injured at least 527 others at a Las Vegas country music event. He killed himself before police could capture him.

Paddock managed to transport an arsenal of weapons to the 32nd-floor suite of a hotel room he rented.