Nevada governor: Today we remember the unforgettable

Las Vegas victims remembered on first anniversary of shooting

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Asombre sunrise remembrance ceremony started yesterday in Las Vegas with survivors, families of victims, first-responders and elected officials remembering the lives lost when one year ago a gunman opened fire on a crowd attending an outdoor country music concert in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.

Several hundred people gathered at an outdoor amphitheatre during an event that began with a prayer and words from Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval. “Today we remember the unforgettable. Today, we comfort the inconsolable,” Sandoval said. “Today, we are reminded of the pain that never really goes away.”

Among the attendees who are offering prayers, songs and speeches at the event was Mynda Smith.

She remembered her sister, Nyesa Davis Tonks, who pronounced her name ‘Neesha’ and was a 46-year-old single mother originally from the Salt Lake City area raising three boys in Las Vegas. Smith said her sister she was energetic, adventurous, a fan of all kinds of music. “I want to bring the message about living life to the fullest,” Smith said. “About how grateful we are for our community, the love and support that we got, and being ‘Vegas Strong.’”

Smith started a scholarship fund for victims’ children and says she reached loved ones of almost all the dead. Thirtythree were from California, six others from Nevada, four from Canada and 12 from other US states. “It was a heartbreak every time,” Smith said. “This was a tragedy of grand scale. We have a long way to go. But we have to move forward with love and light.”