Vegas shooter casts spotlight on high-limit gaming

By Jason Hidalgo and Sam Gross, Reno Gazette-Journal

The gunman at the center of the deadliest shooting in U.S. history did not leave much of an impression with his Reno neighbors.

Amid the bright lights and bustling din of the casinos he visited in the Biggest Little City, however, Stephen Paddock was instantly recognizable.

Before becoming known around the world as the man behind a shooting rampage that left 59 people dead and more than 500 injured at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, Paddock was a familiar fixture among the staff at some of Reno’s big hotel-casinos.

Matt Orchowski, 25, of Reno remembers running into Paddock a few times at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa’s VIP lounge. Orchowski, now the general manager at Fitness For 10’s downtown Reno branch, worked as a VIP representative at the Atlantis from 2014 to 2016. He was responsible for catering to the needs of high rollers, including checking them in and serving them drinks.

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