Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock booked hotel overlooking Lollapalooza music festival two months before massacre...and Malia Obama was at the concert

Before his October 1st massacre, Stephen Paddock had his sights set on two other music festivals. Lollapalooza in Chicago in August and another music festival in September before settling for the one in Vegas. Read the TMZ report below...

Check out this pic of a computer screen at the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago, located across the street from the venue, Grant Park, where 400,000 people -- including Malia Obama -- squeezed in over 4 days to watch big musical acts.

Paddock booked one room for August 1, 2017, 2 days before the August 3 kickoff. Paddock then booked a second room for an August 3 arrival. Both rooms had an August 6 checkout .. that's when Lollapalooza ended.

The hotel directly overlooked the main stage as well as several adjoining stages. It also overlooks the main entrance and exit where thousands of people file through. And the hotel had a bird's-eye view of the crowd. We're told Paddock specifically requested both rooms be a "view room" which only face Grant Park, where the concert was being held. And here's the scariest part ... it's difficult if not impossible to flee because of the river. Sources tell TMZ Paddock had never booked a room at the hotel before, nor had his girlfriend.

 Our sources say Paddock never showed. 

If his plan was to wreak havoc on Lollapalooza the way he did 2 months later in Vegas, it shows the murderous plot was long-standing.