On October 1st, 2017, tragedy struck the city of Las Vegas as perpetrator Stephen Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel on Route 91 Harvest Festival concertgoers—killing more than 58 people and injuring 500 others. As the chaos unfolded, multiple concert attendees put their lives at risk and came to the aid of their loved ones and total strangers. Here are some of their stories.
Jonathan Smith, 30
Smith, a 30 year-old repairman, attended the festival for his brother’s 43rd birthday. When the gunshots started blaring overhead, Smith initially thought that they were fireworks. When he realized that they were gunshots, Smith immediately started grabbing and leading people away from the scene, saving an estimated amount of 30 people. Smith suffered from multiple injuries including a fractured collarbone, a cracked rib, a bruised lung, with his worst injury being a gunshot to the neck. “ I might have to live with this bullet for the rest of my life” stated Smith. Smith disclosed to The Washington Post that “ [He] doesn’t see himself as a hero. [He] would want someone to do the same for [him]. No one deserves to lose a life at a country festival.”
Taylor Winston, 29
Winston, a 29 year-old Marine veteran, found a truck with keys inside, stole it, and loaded it with as many as 30 injured victims in the backseat and drove them to the nearest hospital. Winston told CNN that when he saw that “People [were] scattering and screaming, that’s when [he] knew that something was wrong.” By the end of the night, Winston had transported around two dozen people to the hospital.
Jack & Laurie Beaton
Jack and Laurie Beaton both attended the festival to celebrate their 23rd marriage anniversary. When the first rounds of gunshots commenced, Jack Beaton got on top of his spouse, Laurie, shielding her from the gunfire. Sadly, Jack Beaton got struck by several gunshots —tragically dying a few hours later at a nearby hospital. Jack, 54, leaves behind his wife and 2 children.
Rob Ledbetter, 42
Ledbetter, a 42 year-old U.S Army veteran, heard random popping shots and figured they were fireworks. When he’d seen people drop to the ground, his instincts kicked in and immediately knew something wasn’t right. “ The echo, it sounded like it was coming from everywhere and you didn’t know where to run” stated Ledbetter. He assisted his brother that got shot, then turned his attention to the wounded—in which he compressed a girl’s shoulder, wrapped a leg, and put a “makeshift tourniquet” on a teenage girl.“ Everyone there is going to have emotional problems [...] There was blood everywhere I went. On the Street, on the Strip. All of these people are going to develop PTSD. I feel bad for them” recounted Ledbetter.
Steve Keys
Keys, a firefighter, was one of the first responders at the scene of the shooting. While he was performing CPR on a wounded woman, a bullet grazed his chest and stomach. Though he was bleeding profusely, he stayed on site and continued helping whoever he could. “ I am okay, but a lot of people aren’t. I am very lucky to be alive” stated Keys in a Facebook post. He was picked up by a friend and driven to be treated.