Last night a shooter, 64-year-old retiree Stephen Paddock, opened fire on a crowd at a country music festival in Las Vegas, killing at least 50 people and injuring more than 500.
Paddock shot into the crowd at the festival from the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel. The smoke coming from his gun each time he fired eventually set off the smoke alarm in the room, which helped police quickly pinpoint which room he was in. Las Vegas police said Paddock had taken his own life before they entered the room.
Here are a few ways to assist the victims and their families in the aftermath of this tragedy.
Donate to the Families
Clark County Commission Chair for Las Vegas Steve Sisolak and Sheriff Joseph Lombardo set up a GoFundMe campaign for the victims of the shooting. The funds will be used to provide relief and financial support to the victims and their families.
The Sheriff and I have set up an account to aid survivors and their families. I've pledged the first $10K. https://t.co/UMcQtZLgmr
— Steve Sisolak (@SteveSisolak) October 2, 2017
Donations to the National Compassion Fund provide support to victims of tragedies like this one.
You can also give to local organizations that provide mental and physical health care to those who can’t afford them, like the St. Rose Dominican Health Foundation or Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada.
Call Your Representatives
There’s a bill in congress, the Sportsmen Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act,” or SHARE Act, that would make it easier to buy gun silencers. In accounts of the attack last night and other mass shootings, it’s the sound of initial gunshots that gave many would-be victims time to get to safety.
You can find the numbers for your elected representatives here if you want to contact them about gun legislation.
Give Blood
On Monday morning, lines wrapped around donation centers in Nevada. Whether you live near Last Vegas or not, donating blood will go a long way to helping medical professionals treat the shooting victims.
The line to donate blood is now wrapped around United Blood Services. Hundreds of people coming out to help in any way they can pic.twitter.com/GA6O2R37LS
— Yasmeen Hassan (@YasmeenTV) October 2, 2017
With so many victims still in critical condition, officials continue to emphasize blood donations as the most pressing need. The list below shows local centers in and around Las Vegas where donors can give blood.
If you're trying to locate missing loved ones in Las Vegas, call 1-866-535-5654. If you want to donate blood, here are some locations: pic.twitter.com/4rUrZjBYJX
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) October 2, 2017
Just because you don’t live near Las Vegas doesn’t mean you shouldn’t donate blood, writes Kirsten Korosec for Fortune. As United Blood Service noted on its website earlier this week: “Please don’t wait for the next tragedy or crisis to donate. A continuous supply of blood is needed and a slow down like this is so difficult.”