Las Vegas shooting: Widow asks court to block media reports of autopsies
LAS VEGAS -- The widow of a Las Vegas police officer killed in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history wants a Nevada judge to block media reports about redacted autopsy records made public last week about the 58 victims. Clark County District Court Judge Richard Scotto plans a Feb. 12 hearing on a filing by lawyers for Veronica Hartfield about documents released last Wednesday under a media public records lawsuit.
Hartfield's attorney, Tony Sgro, didn't immediately respond Monday to messages. He argues the records are confidential and protected health information under federal law.
Attorneys for media organizations -- including the Associated Press -- argue that once personal identifiers are redacted, claims to privacy no longer apply.
The released documents black-out the case numbers, names, ages, hometowns and racial characteristics of victims of the Oct. 1 shooting on the Las Vegas Strip.
Records relating to the shooter, Stephen Paddock, weren't made public.
On Friday, an Arizona man who sold ammunition to Paddock was charged with manufacturing armor-piercing bullets, according to court documents obtained by the AP. Investigators discovered the unfired bullets in the hotel room where Paddock launched the attack.
