Man who sold ammo to Las Vegas shooter charged with making armor-piercing bullets

PHOENIX - The man who sold ammo to Las Vegas shooting suspect Stephen Paddock is being charged with manufacturing armor-piercing bullets.

A complaint says unfired armor-piercing bullets found inside the Las Vegas hotel room where the attack was launched on Oct. 1 contained the fingerprints of ammunition dealer Douglas Haig of Arizona.

The complaint filed Friday in federal court in Phoenix says Haig didn't have a license to manufacture armor-piercing ammunition.

Haig was charged shortly before holding a news conference Friday. He said he met Paddock at a Phoenix gun show in the weeks before the Oct. 1 shooting in Las Vegas that killed 58 people.

Haig, 55, said his life has been turned upside down since his name was released. He said he has even received death threats.

"One woman screaming through my door that I should be killed, that I should die," said Haig. "It's been not a lot of fun quite frankly."

During the news conference, Haig said he wanted people to know that he had nothing to do with Paddock, other than selling him legal ammo.

In September 2017, haig sold paddock 720 rounds of tracer ammunition. The box from this ammo with Haig's information on it was found in the room Paddock used to commit his act of terror.

"He said that he was going to the desert and put on a light, either with or for his friends," said Haig.

Paddock picked up the ammo from Haig's home, which he says is uncommon, but he trusted Paddock and had no reason to believe he was a bad guy. 

"I feel terrible about what's happened," said Haig. "I keep racking my brain: what did I miss, what did I miss. There were no outward signs. He appeared as normal as anyone in this room. Very well spoken, very clean cut. Very well dressed, very polite, very respectful."    

After the transaction, the two had no other contact. Haig is unsure if the ammo he sold Paddock was used in the massacre, but he doesn't believe it was.

"Very very thankful that he didn't use any of the ammunition that I sold him, but at the same time I wish he had because it would have given people more reason to scatter," said Haig. "They would have known they were being shot at. Tracer ammunition leaves a flame behind the bullet. It's a magnesium flare so everyone would have immediately known that projectiles were coming at them."

Haig says it's not uncommon for someone to buy this type of ammo, and at this quantity. He's an aerospace engineer and only sold ammo as a hobby. 

He doesn't sell it anymore, and he's not sure if he ever will again.

The Associated Press contributed to this report