United States
The massacre in Las Vegas is the deadliest man shooting in modern US history. At least 59 people were killed; 527 were left wounded. In the Catholic cathedral dedicated to Guardian Angels the bishop of Las Vegas, Msgr. Joseph A. Pepe, held an interfaith prayer service and invited peoples worldwide to join this moment of communion for an end to violence
(From New York) David drove for over three hours to reach Las Vegas and stand on line, for an equal number of hours, to donate blood. He is not alone: the queues in front of the blood banks signal the state of emergency, marked by unexpected tokens of solidarity and generosity. People carrying bottles of water, coffee and snacks, swarmed in from all corners of the city, while Salvation Army and Red Cross centres were turned into store supplies for rescuers offering support to those still under choc waiting for news on their wounded friends.
The death tool rose to 59, one by one each face is being identified with a name, and a story.
Nurses, teachers, a police officer, a cheerleader, a grandmother and her grandchild are among the victims of Sunday night’s shooting in the capital of Nevada. They had arrived to attend the “Route 91 Harvest”, the country music festival that every year brings together over 40 thousand enthusiasts. Thirty thousand had gathered in the outdoor garden near Mandalay Bay Hotel when Stephen Paddock opened fire, transforming the temple of music into a graveyard. His arsenal comprised of 23 guns, among them figured automatic weapons and multiple rounds of bullets and silencers: the police and the FBI are still trying to identify reasons and motives of his personal war against humanity. In the latest press conference (at 4:00 a.m in Italy) a police officer made known that Paddock had no accomplices and that the shooting is not a terrorist attack, although several aspects are yet to be investigated.
The number of casualties is known: as many as 527. Authorities have set up hotlines to help people track down relatives who are desperately trying to reach them.
The stories of eye-witnesses trying to escape the shooting from the 32nd floor of the hotel are deeply moving. Two young women found a lonely child and without worrying about slowing down their pace they took her in their arms and saved her. A father, having realized the massive scale of the tragedy, lied over the bodies of his children to protect them, while one of the concert’s official photographers tried to rescue a girl hit at the head. Everyone is clearly under choc and many have no desire to talk: they are alive and that’s what counts.
In the meantime at 17 (local time) of Monday afternoon (October 2) a lay prayer vigil took place in Las Vegas’ City Hall attended by pastors of Reformation Churches and religious community leaders as well as senators and the mayor, whose niece was among the concert-goers: she miraculously arrived home unscathed. In the Catholic cathedral devoted to Guardian Angels the bishop of Las Vegas, Mons. Joseph A. Pepe, decided to celebrate an interfaith prayer service, and called upon peoples worldwide to join this moment of communion for an end to violence. Mons. Pepe offered the promise of his prayers “to those who have lost the lives, for the medical personnel and first responders who, with bravery and self-sacrifice have helped so many.” He thus highlighted “the stories of all who helped each other in this time of crisis”, since, “ as the Gospel reminds us, we are called to be modern day Good Samaritans.” He finally concluded extending his thoughts to his diocese and to the rest of the world, in particular to those
“whose lives are shattered by the events of daily violence.”
Pope Francis sent a telegram of condolences to Mons. Pepe: “Deeply saddened to learn of his senseless tragedy.” Francis commends “the efforts of the police and emergency service personnel” and offers the promise of his prayers “for the injured and for all who have died”, entrusting them “to the merciful love of Almighty God.” Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, President of the US Bishops’ Conference offered his prayers and those of his brother bishops to the victims of this tragedy, “for no matter what the darkness, it will never overcome the light.”
The tragic shooting in Las Vegas is to date is the deadliest man shooting in modern US history, it also re-sparked the debate on gun control regulations: this controversial issue is enshrined in the Second Amendment of the Constitution, but in fact, notably after the deadly killings of the past years, gun industry sales have been plummeting while the public opinion is increasingly critical of arms lobbies. White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared that the US President continues supporting the Second Amendment but equally voiced the need for unity and joint commitment throughout the Country. She pointed out that this is not the time to spark off heated debates on weapons ownership.
