SE Vegas News

As Las Vegas moves forward with plans to create a memorial for the victims of the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting, the 1 October Memorial Committee is coming up with strategies to get more community members involved in the project.

“We’ve reached a very exciting phase of efforts to create a lasting memorial for our community and are seeking as much community engagement as possible,” Tennille Pereira, director of the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center, said ahead of the group’s most recent meeting to discuss plans for the memorial. 

Five years ago, Stephen Craig Paddock started shooting into a crowd gathered for a concert in Las Vegas. He killed 60 people, and hundreds of others were injured by gunfire or in the melee as people tried to flee. He then killed himself. 

The committee met on July 27, with participants providing updates on what has been done and coming up with ways to increase community involvement. It is also soliciting proposals for what the memorial should look like.

“Many of us created beautiful, touching and emotional expressions of the feelings we had in the wake of what took place that night,” the committee said on Facebook after the meeting. “If you have creative expressions you’ve done in the past, or something new you want to share, please consider submitting your work to our 1 October Memorial Committee online gallery at ClarkCountyNV.gov/1OctoberMemorial."

Submissions might be used to influence plans going forward.

“Submissions are welcome from anyone whether you live in the Las Vegas Valley or not,” Pereira said. “We also encourage participation through our other two pathways of participation – our Call for Evaluators and our Request for Qualifications from professional design teams.” 

Those who missed the meeting can watch a video of it on the 1 October Memorial Facebook page or on YouTube. The meeting agenda is also available on the County's website at ClarkCountyNV.gov/1OctoberMemorial.