Shooting brings tragedy to families in U.S., Canada
A registered nurse from Tennessee who died shielding his wife, a doctor, from gunfire. The only son of a Canadian couple who is now left childless. A popular secretary at a New Mexico High School.
All were among the at least 58 people killed in the mass shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas, a tragedy that has left behind loved ones in many parts of the country and world.
Details began to emerge Monday about some of those slain and the hundreds more who were injured after a gunman opened fire on festivalgoers.
Sonny Melton, a registered nurse, died in the shooting, according to The Henry County Medical Center in Paris, Tenn., where he worked.
His wife, Dr. Heather Melton, an orthopedic surgeon who was with him when shots were fired, survived, the medical centre said.
Heather Melton told WZTV in Nashville, Tenn., that her husband “saved my life and lost his.” She says her husband was the most kind-hearted, loving man she ever met. Friend Jeremy Butler told the Paris (Tennessee) Post-Intelligencer
that Melton was shielding Heather Melton from gunfire when he was fatally shot. technician, was shot and ultimately died in the hospital, the Manhattan Beach Police Department said.
Parker was among four department employees who were attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival while off-duty. Another suffered minor injuries.
“She was employed with the Manhattan Beach Police Department for 10 years and will be greatly missed,” the department said in a statement.
Real estate agent and father of three older children Rob McIntosh, 52, of North Pole, Alaska, was near the front of the stage with friends when the shooting began, according to friend and real estate broker Mike Vansickle. He was hit repeatedly but survived, Vansickle said.
“From just getting off the phone with the family, he took three bullets to his body,” said Vansickle. “He just came out of surgery, and he’s going to make it.”
Sandy Casey, a middle school special education teacher from Manhattan Beach, Calif., was killed in Sunday night’s attack, the school district said.
“This is unbelievably tragic and sad,” Mike Matthews, superintendent of the Manhattan Beach School District, wrote in a Monday morning letter to the district. “This loss is impacting many of our staff members deeply.”