‘ACT OF COMPASSION’ A REACTION TO VEGAS SHOOTING
AS a cloud-streaked sunset glowed over Las Vegas, officials, victims’ families and survivors of last year’s mass shooting at a country music festival marked the first anniversary of the tragedy by plac- ing roses on a tribute wall and dedicating a memorial garden on Monday night (local time).
The ceremony at dusk near the city’s downtown drew at least 200 people, including Governor Brian Sandoval and former US Republican Gabby Giffords of Arizona, herself a survivor of a 2011 mass shooting.
The quarter-acre garden, which features a tree for each of the victims and an oak that represents life, is the only permanent public space created in the memory of the 58 people who were killed when a gunman opened fire from a highrise casino-resort suite on a crowd of 22,000.
The garden, built by volunteers, was the community’s way of reacting to the violence, according to the creator.
“We’ve pushed back with a very deliberate act of compassion,” Jay Pleggenkuhle said.