Las Vegas shooting victims’ names read at healing garden
It took 12 minutes to read their names.
It took 10 minutes exactly one year earlier for a single gunman to wage an attack that killed them all.
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and a city spokesman on Monday recited the names of each of the 58 mothers, fathers, sons and daughters who died on the final night of the Route 91 Harvest festival on Oct. 1, 2017.
The ceremony at the Las Vegas Community Healing Garden began at 10:05 p.m., the same moment the first gunshots were fired.
After each name was read, a bell tolled and one candle was lit. In the silent moments, muffled cries could be heard from the crowd of hundreds who gathered to honor the dead. The crowd included several of the victims’ families, who sat in front of the mayor.
The ceremony concluded with a silent prayer and brief remarks from Goodman, who said those killed “forever will live in this garden of light and hope, serenity and prayer.”
A group of volunteers designed and built the garden, which is located at 1015 S. Casino Center Blvd. in downtown Las Vegas, in the wake of the mass shooting.
Earlier Monday, a new “Remembrance Wall” honoring the shooting victims was dedicated at the garden.
Contact Rachel Crosby at rcrosby@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3801. Follow @rachelacrosby.
