Honoring Heroes and Victims: The Real People Behind the Shocking Numbers in Vegas

CBN
10-03-2017

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Authorities are working to learn more about Stephen Paddock, the gunman who opened fire on a crowd of country music fans in Las Vegas, killing at least 59 of them.

And we're just beginning to learn the names of the victims in what's being called the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

They include 28-year-old Afghanistan Navy vet Chris Roybal, a mother of three named Hannah Ahlers, special education teacher Sandy Casey, and Las Vegas Police Officer Charleston Hartfield. He was off duty while attending the concert.

Fifty-nine people were killed and more than 500 wounded when Paddock opened fire on the crowd of some 22,000 people at a country music concert.

Christy Tech was in the front row of the concert.

"When I stood up from my crouched position in front of the stage, I could look in a very small area and I saw 20 bodies," she said.

When asked how to comprehend such tragedy, she responded, "You don't."

But tales of heroism have emerged from the horror.

Mike McGarry, a financial adviser from Philadelphia, was standing 200 yards from the stage when the shots rang out.

He put his life on the line by shielding his wife and a group of college students standing nearby.

"There were bullets flying all over. I'm 53, they're in their 20's," said McGarry. "I've lived a decent life so far, I'd rather them live longer than me."

McGarry's act is just one of dozens of reports coming from the massacre in Las Vegas as chaos erupted when thousands tried to flee. 

Sonny Melton, a registered nurse, was killed while protecting his wife Dr. Heather Melton from the gunfire. 

She told WZTV in Nashville that her husband "saved my life and lost his."

Then there was Rob Ledbetter whose battlefield instincts kicked in quickly as bullets screamed overhead.

The 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran who served as a sniper in Iraq immediately began tending to the wounded.

In the aftermath, when the call was made for volunteers to donate blood, people listened.

In some places, donors waited in line for five hours to give blood to those who survived. 

Meanwhile, authorities are revealing more about Paddock. The 64-year-old retired accountant from Mesquite, Nevada, killed himself before officers stormed his hotel room.

While his motive is a mystery and may never be known, authorities say he had 23 weapons in the hotel room.

At his home, police found 19 more weapons, explosives and thousands of rounds of ammunition as well as bomb-making materials.

The FBI said that claims by ISIS that Paddock was a soldier of Islam are false. But we now know his father was a notorious fugitive bank robber who was once labeled a "psychopath" by the FBI.  

Meanwhile, President Trump plans to visit Vegas on Wednesday. 

He quoted the Bible Monday in his response to the tragedy.
 
"Scripture teaches us the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. We seek comfort in those words for we know God lives in the hearts of those who grieve," Trump said.

Christian leaders are also calling for prayers for the victims. 

Country music star Carrie Underwood tweeted, "We are praying for the victims and their families. May the Lord bring some comfort to them."

Paula White-Cain, who serves on the president's Evangelical Advisory Council, also posted a message on Twitter saying, "I am praying for everyone affected by the tragic shooting in Las Vegas. I look to God for peace and strength."

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