A photo of the iPhone shows shattered glass and what appears to be impact damage from a bullet. The woman told the cab driver who snapped the photo that it was. The damage can be seen on the bottom edge of the iPhone, showing where the bullet penetrated both the hard plastic protective case and into the iPhone inside.
The identity of the woman was not disclosed and she has yet to be interviewed. While the phone looks like it was indeed struck by a bullet, an expert would be needed to verify why the bullet didn’t completely penetrate the iPhone.
The gunman, Stephen Paddock, was using very powerful weapons. The distance from the shooter, the velocity of the bullet, and the angle it hit the iPhone would have to be taken into account.
At least 58 people died after the gunman opened fire at a country music festival in Las Vegas, shooting at people attending the outdoor country rock concert from the window of his 32nd floor hotel room. Police said when they finally got to Paddock over an hour later, he had already killed himself.
Danley is currently with the FBI in Los Angeles for questioning to find out a motive for what turned out to be the largest mass shooting in U.S. history. Paddock had no criminal record and doesn’t appear to have been connected to any extremist groups. His father, however, was a convicted bank robber who was in prison during Paddock’s childhood, and spent years on the FBI’s most wanted after escaping from prison.