Lawyer gave boost to GoFundMe page for Las Vegas shooting victims

For weeks since the Route 91 Harvest festival massacre, attorney Paola Armeni’s name has sat atop the GoFundMe page for the Las Vegas Victims Fund.

With a $10,210 figure, Armeni is listed as the person with the “most raised from sharing.”

Armeni, who donated $500 herself and shared the link on her Facebook page, said she was unaware of the designation until contacted by a friend.

“I was a little bit surprised myself,” she said, pointing out that much of what she raised through sharing came from former Las Vegas auto dealer Pat Clark, who donated $10,000.

Through Armeni, Clark declined to comment on his donation.

After a gunman opened fire on the concert, killing 58 and injuring hundreds, Armeni found the crowdfunding site and contributed, knowing that blood banks would be full. The shooting occurred on the night of Oct. 1, a Sunday.

“It was devastating. It was my hometown,” said Armeni, who has lived in Las Vegas since she was a young teenager. “I spent most of Monday crying. This was something I could do and try to make some sort of difference as quickly as I could.”

Armeni is managing partner with the firm Gentile, Cristalli, Miller, Armeni, Savarese.

The GoFundMe page, created on Oct. 2 by Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak, had raised more than $11.5 million of a $15 million goal.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.