Las Vegas shooting survivor walks out of rehab hospital

WASHINGTON — A survivor of the Las Vegas Strip shooting who suffered a head wound chalked up a “huge” milestone in her recovery when she was able to walk out of a rehabilitation hospital in Maryland last week, according a social media update by the family.

Tina Frost was able to leave the facility on her own, said Pam Ostiguy Clark, and will have a few days off from doctors, therapists and nurses before continuing her care as an outpatient.

“She can enjoy her family and friends and some normalcy and doing some more on her own,” Clark said in an update on a social media site raising funds to offset medical costs.

Frost was one of 22,000 people attending the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas on Oct. 1 when a gunman used his 32nd-floor room at Mandalay Bay to fire into the crowd with semi-automatic rifles.

There were 58 people killed by gunfire and more than 500 injured.

Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite died in his room from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo is heading the Metro Police investigation into the killing. Investigators have still not divulged a possible motive for the mass shooting carried out by Paddock, a high-stakes gambler with no previous criminal history.

The FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting in the investigation.

A Senate Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on the shooting last week, and is reviewing legislation that would ban “bump stock” devices, which were used by Paddock to accelerate the rate of fire of bullets into the crown.

A witness at the festival, Heather Gooze, recalled the harrowing night and the chaos and bloodshed following 10 minutes of rapid firing that left concertgoers dazed, scrambling to help those who were wounded and killed in the melee.

Despite several bipartisan bills to address the use of bump stocks, Congress has not acted on legislation pending before the House and Senate.

The ATF announed it is reviewing regulations that allow bump stocks to be sold legally as accessories, a process expected to take months.

Frost, a native of Crofton, Maryland, was living in California and traveled to Las Vegas to attend the country music festival.

After she was struck by gunfire, she was rushed to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas where she underwent a three-hour surgery. She lost her right eye to the injury.

Frost was transferred from Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center to Johns Hopkins Hospital on Oct. 15. Neurosurgeon Dr. Keith Blum discharged Frost from the Las Vegas hospital after she made great strides in recovery.

She had additional surgeries at Johns Hopkins, according to family updates. She left Johns Hopkins in November and was moved to an undisclosed rehabilitation center, according to family updates.

The most recent update called the release from the rehabilitation hospital, and her ability to walk, a huge milestone in Frost’s recovery.

“We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season as we are planning to and have a lot to celebrate and be thankful for,” Clark wrote.

The update also thanked supporters who have helped raise more than $607,400 and who “will keep this uphill marathon of a miracle moving in the right direction.”

Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com or 202-662-7390. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.