An Arizona man who illegally produced and sold ammunition to the gunman responsible for the worst mass shooting in U.S. history has pleaded guilty.
Douglas Haig, 57, admitted in court Tuesday that he made the ammunition found in gunman Stephen Paddock’s hotel room. Investigators tracked the armor-piercing and tracer bullets back to Haig after discovering his fingerprints on them.
Paddock, 64, rained down bullets on a crowded country music concert in October 2017, killing 58 and wounding hundreds more. Another victim succumbed to her injuries last week, more than two years after she was shot in the spine.
Haig’s business was permanently shuttered after the FBI raided it three weeks after the shooting. Tuesday’s plea avoids a trial where he could have faced up to five years in prison. His plea agreement could get him around two years in prison. Haig’s defense attorney Marc Victor will argue that he should get probation.
“Doug had no indication whatsoever about Stephen Paddock’s plans,” Victor said. “Doug was absolutely devastated when he learned of the tragedy.”
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 19.
