At least 59 people — including an ER nurse and a student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas — were killed Sunday. In the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history, at least 59 people, including a college student, an ER nurse, and a mechanic, were killed near the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Sunday. More than 500 people in the crowd of 22,000 were injured as musician Jason Aldean performed at a country music festival. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, is believed to have killed himself, and police say his motives remain unknown. A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Clark County Coroner's office told BuzzFeed News the office was not confirming the names of victims to media at this time. Here is what we know about the victims of the attack who have been identified so far. Cameron Robinson Cameron Robinson, 28, attended the concert with his boyfriend on Sunday when he was shot in the neck, his sister, Meghan Ervin, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Robinson lived in St. George, Utah, but drove into Las Vegas to work for the city as a legal records specialist, Ervin said. "I feel like this is a horrible nightmare,” she wrote on Facebook, describing her brother as "goofy, amazing, kind, sweet, loving” and “her best friend." Robinson attended Basic High School and graduated from Nevada State College and Western International University, according to his sister. Rachael Parker Rachael Parker was a records technician for the police department in Manhattan Beach, California, where she had worked for 10 years, the department said in a statement. Police said she will be “greatly missed.” Local ABC affiliate KXLY in Spokane, Washington, wrote on Facebook that Parker had grown up in Spokane and gone to Cheney High School. The station shared a photo sent by Parker’s mother of her daughter on the beach, to show her "passion for life and for her 'fur kids’ (her two dogs)," the outlet wrote. Parker attended the concert with three other off-duty police department employees, according to the statement. Another officer suffered minor injuries in the attack. Stacee Etcheber Stacee Etcheber was a mother of two who worked as a hairdresser and lived in Novato, California. Her brother-in-law, Al Etcheber, confirmed her death in a Facebook post early Tuesday morning. “It’s with a heavy heart and deep sorrow, Stacee Etcheber has passed away,” Etcheber wrote. "Please pray for our family during this difficult time. She leaves behind two adoring beautiful children and an amazing husband. Thank you to everyone for all the support in this past few days. We will dearly miss you.” An email was sent to the Novato Unified School District community Tuesday morning, according to the Marin Independent Journal, offering condolences to the family and friends. Jenny Parks Jenny Parks, an elementary school teacher for the Lancaster School District in California, was "one of the most loving people you could ever hope to meet,” her husband’s uncle, Steven McCarthy, told CNN. Parks had received her master's in education in May, according to People magazine. McCarthy said Parks’s husband, Bobby, was also injured in the shooting, but that he was responsive and had been informed his wife had died. The two had been high school sweethearts, he told People, saying that Parks “always went out of her way to help anybody." Dana Gardner Dana Gardner was an employee for California’s San Bernardino County for 26 years, most recently working as a deputy recorder, according to the San Bernardino Sun. Her daughter Kayla wrote on Facebook Monday that she and her family were deeply saddened by their loss. "We are devastated and still in shock trying to comprehend what happened," she wrote. "My family and I appreciate the outpouring of love and support and ask for prayers at this time." Former coworkers remembered Gardner to the newspaper as a "go-to person" and a "dedicated public servant." Thomas Day Jr. Thomas Day Jr., 54, was a home builder and contractor from Riverside, California, who attended the festival with four of his children, his father told the Los Angeles Times. On Facebook, one friend of 20 years called him a "great man" who "always left people better than he found them." “He was the best dad. That’s why the kids were with him,” his father, Thomas Day Sr., told the Los Angeles Times. “They’re crushed.” Michelle Vo Michelle Vo, a 32-year-old woman working in the insurance business in California, loved golf and the Golden State Warriors, friends said in remembrances to local media. Vo was a graduate of San Jose's Independence High School and UC Davis, and was living in Los Angeles when she traveled to Las Vegas for the country music festival. Casey Lubin, who described Vo as her best friend in an email to BuzzFeed News, said she believed "that all of the love and effort she gave to others in her life would come back." Lubin called her "the most vibrant, passionate, brave and kind person I have ever met." Calla Medig Canadian Calla Medig, who was raised in Jasper and worked in Edmonton, Alberta, was attending the music festival in Las Vegas for the third year in a row, her mother told Global News, a Canadian outlet. A branch of the Jasper Royal Canadian Legion Branch said on Facebook that the chapter lowered its flag in her honor, writing, "A young beautiful lady was taken too soon from us." Hannah Ahlers Hannah Ahlers, 35, a mother of three from Murietta, California, enjoyed spending time with her family and adventurous outdoor activities like skydiving, according to friends and relatives. Dave Ahlers, Hannah’s father-in-law, confirmed her death to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He described her as a “loving, caring and devoted mother,” always ferrying her kids from soccer practice to school events and going out of her way to help others. On Facebook, friends remembered her for her faith and ability to “create happiness wherever she went." Carrie Barnette Facebook / Via Facebook: MissUltimateBlondeDiva Share Pin Carrie Barnette, 34, a Disney employee who worked at the Pacific Wharf Café in Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California, was celebrating a friend’s 30th birthday at the music festival in Las Vegas. Official reports of her death took hours to reach her mother, Mavis Barnette, after she'd received a call late Sunday night from her daughter's friend that she'd been shot, she told the Los Angeles Times. Monday, Disney Chair and CEO Robert Iger tweeted in memoriam: "A senseless, horrific, act, and a terrible loss for so many. We mourn a wonderful member of the Disney family: Carrie Barnette. Tragic.” The company said in a statement that Barnette was "beloved by her friends and colleagues.” Her mother told the Los Angeles Times that she was "a beautiful child," that she loved her work, and that she was always generous with her time with her family. Bailey Schweitzer Coworkers of Bailey Schweitzer, 20, a receptionist at Infinity Communications and Consulting, a software company in Bakersfield, California, remembered her as "the ray of sunshine in our office on a cloudy day," writing in a statement that she would be greatly missed. "If you have ever called or visited our office, she was the perky one that helped direct you to the staff member you needed," wrote Infinity CEO Fred Brakeman, adding, "there will never be a replacement for her in our hearts." The office held a candlelight vigil for Schweitzer at the office on Monday evening, where employees described her to local news as "everything to us." Friends said Schweitzer spent her spare time helping out at the racetrack her parents own, listening to country music, and sending funny Snapchats. When the musical act Brothers Osborne played her favorite song, “Ain’t My Fault," at the festival in Las Vegas, she held her phone to the stage so her friend could listen. John Phippen Facebook / Via Facebook: johnpspecialties Share Pin John Phippen, of Santa Clarita, California, was the owner of California-based home remodeling company JP Specialties. He was dancing next to his son, Travis, when he was struck by a bullet in the lower back at the concert in Las Vegas, the Los Angeles Times reported. “He was my best friend,” Travis said. “He never did anything wrong to anybody. He was always kind and gentle. He was the biggest teddy bear I knew.” Friends and family shared remembrances on the Facebook page of a local radio station, writing that "his smile was bigger than life" and that it "lit up the room." “We are all kind of in disbelief that it would happen to someone so gentle,” Travis told the LA Times. Jennifer Irvine Criminal defense and family law attorney Jennifer Irvine was killed Sunday, her publicist confirmed to legal news outlet Law Newz. Irvine had recently been a guest on the network, providing analysis. A graduate of the University of San Diego and the California Western School of Law, Irvine enjoyed snowboarding and held a black belt in tae kwon do, according to the legal news site. A longtime friend described Irvine to the San Diego Tribune as "a smart, friendly and bubbly woman who enjoyed life and brought joy to others." Friend, colleague, and business partner Thomas Slattery wrote on Facebook that Irvine's death was "a tragic loss of a kind, generous, and beautiful lady" who "will be greatly missed." Rhonda LeRocque Rhonda LeRocque, 42, a wife, mother, and Jehovah's Witness from Tewksbury, Massachusetts, had traveled to Las Vegas with her husband and young daughter for the music festival, family told local news. “I was devastated this morning at 7:00 to find out she’s been shot, murdered, in a senseless, horrific act," her mother told WBZ-TV. “She was the one who threw all the events and family gatherings, and she was the hostess with the mostess, and she was just beautiful inside and out.” LeRocque's sister, Korina Champagne, wrote on Facebook that her heart was broken and she felt "numb and paralyzed." "May she rest now until her name is called and she is awakened in paradise," she wrote. Adrian Murfitt Adrian Murfitt, 35, was a commercial fisherman in Alaska who traveled to Las Vegas with friends to celebrate the end of a good season, family told The New York Times. He enjoyed hockey, fishing, and mechanical work, relatives said, and died of a gunshot wound to the neck, despite the work of medics on the scene. "Sadly, he died in my arms,” his friend Brian MacKinnon wrote on Facebook. “I don’t really know what else to say at this time. I’m really sorry.” Others who knew Murfitt shared remembrances on social media, calling him "a true fisherman and great friend." "I miss your corny jokes already," wrote fellow crewman Charles Chiarson. "You will always be thought of and missed, make sure you got the fishing spots when we all get there," wrote friend Nicholas Bianco. Jack Beaton Jack Beaton, a native of California, was fatally wounded after he tried to protect his wife from bullets during the shooting, his family members said on social media. His wife, Laurie Beaton, survived. In a tweet, his daughter said Beaton "jumped in front of my mom and got shot." His son, Jake Beaton, posted on Facebook: "Lost my best friend. I love you so much more then you could ever imagine. Please watch over our family. You will forever be remembered as our hero! #atruehero" Jack Beaton had posted a photo of him and his wife at the Route 91 festival, saying, "day three route91 Vegas!" hours before the shooting. Christopher Roybal Christopher Roybal, a Navy veteran who served in Afghanistan, was killed in the shooting, his mother, Debby Mendoza Allen, said on Facebook. Roybal, 28, lived in Corona, California. "Today is the saddest day of my life," his mother wrote. "My son Christopher Roybal was murdered last night in Las Vegas. My heart is broken in a billion pieces. For anyone who knew the relationship we shared, you then know we were best friends. I will forever miss my Munchkin." A friend, Matthew Austin, wrote that he and Roybal had joined the Navy together "when we were just boys." "It breaks my heart and infuriates me to know that a veteran can come home from war unharmed and events like these occur," Austin wrote. In his most recent public Facebook post from July, Roybal wrote, "What's it like being shot at?" He said that it was a question he was frequently asked because "it's something that less that 1% of our American population will ever experience. Especially one on a daily basis." "My response has always been the same, not one filled with a sense of pride or ego, but an answer filled with truth and genuine fear/anger," Roybal wrote. He described his combat experiences as "a nightmare no amount of drugs, no amount of therapy and no amount of drunk talks with your war veteran buddies will ever be able to escape." Source
Neysa Tonks Neysa Tonks, a mother of three who lived in Las Vegas, died in the shooting, her employer, Technologent, said in a statement. "The Technologent family lost one of our own in this tragedy — a great mother, colleague and friend, Neysa Tonks," the company said. "She leaves behind three boys — Kaden, Braxton and Greysen. Neysa has brought so much joy, fun and laughter to Technologent — she will be greatly missed by all!" The company also set up a fundraising page on behalf of her family. Friends and family members paid tribute to Tonks on social media. "Because of some selfish GARBAGE human being, our family won’t be able to see our beautiful cousin, Neysa Tonks again," a cousin wrote on Facebook. "She was a wonderful mom, daughter, sister, cousin, and all around, a good person." Another friend wrote that Tonks, who was originally from Salt Lake City, once showed her around Las Vegas "Neysa style." "She was so full of life and so much fun. She was so proud of her boys .. such an amazing soul. Such a beautiful person," the friend wrote. Sandy Casey Sandy Casey, a special education teacher at the Manhattan Beach Middle School in California, died in the shooting, the school district said in a press release to BuzzFeed News. “She is loved by students and colleagues alike and will be remembered for her sense of humor, her passion for her work, her devotion to her students, and her commitment to continuing her own learning and to taking on whatever new projects came her way,” the Manhattan Beach Unified School District said. Casey had worked as a teacher at the school for the past nine years. "We lost a spectacular teacher who devoted her life to helping some of our most needy students," the school district's superintendent, Michael Matthews, said in a statement. In a Facebook post, Casey's partner, Christopher Willhemse, wrote, "The love and support that she and I have received during these trying times just shows how important this wonderful woman truly was. She lived life to the fullest and made me the happiest man in the world. Im so grateful for the kind words and gestures, it means the world to me, especially for her." Denise Burditus Denise Burditus died in the arms of her husband of 32 years, Tony Burditus, according to a Facebook post he wrote about his wife, Metro News reported. "It saddens me to say that I lost my wife of 32 years, a mother of two, soon to be grandmother of five this evening in the Las Vegas shooting,” Tony Burditus wrote. “Denise passed in my arms. I LOVE YOU BABE.” Denise Burditus posted pictures of her and Tony at the Route 91 concert on her social media accounts hours before the shooting. View image on Twitter Her daughter wrote a Facebook post to thank people for their thoughts and prayers. "This is still very fresh & we need time," Mallorie Burditus wrote. "Time to reflect, time to grieve, & time just to be with each other." Denise, who was from Hedgesville, West Virginia, was living in Martinsburg with Tony, who had retired from the Army last year, NorthWestMilitary.com reported. Denise Burditus, who described herself as a college student and semi-retired, was "working on her college degree and was so proud of her grades," Carlene Joseph, a former president of the local Association of the United States Army chapter, told NorthWestMilitary.com. "She had a West Virginia heart as big as she was. Total shame this woman was taken so quickly during the second stage of her life. She just turned 50," Joseph said. Susan Smith Susan Smith, 53, an office manager at an elementary school in California who was at the concert with friends, died in the shooting, Jake Finch, a spokeswoman for the Simi Valley Unified School District, told BuzzFeed News. Smith had worked for the school district for 16 years and was serving as the office manager of Vista Fundamental Elementary School for the past three years, Finch said. "I knew Susan, she was wonderful and great at her job," Finch said. "She was the hub of the school and the principal's right hand. She would field any problems and make sure things are getting ordered and reports are filed." Smith was married and had a son and a daughter who are in their 20s. Angie Gomez Angie Gomez, who graduated in 2015 from Riverside Polytechnic High School in California, was identified as one of the victims by the school's parent teacher student association. "She will always be loved and endeared by our Poly Family," the PTA said in a Facebook post. A fundraising page — created by her Poly Cheer and Song community, of which Gomez was an alumni — described her as "cheerful young lady with a warm heart and loving spirit." The fundraising page was started to help her family with burial and other arrangements and needs. Her friends posted tributes to Gomez on social media. 20-year-old Veronika Maldonado, who lives in Riverside, California, called Angie her "twin," on Twitter. She said that Angie was 20, and that she attended the concert with her boyfriend. "Angie was studying to become a nurse at Riverside Community College. She loved her family more than anyone I know and was the biggest animal lover," she told BuzzFeed News. "She had such a sincere soul and was such a caregiver. She would have been the perfect nurse." Maldonado said the loss of her friend will be felt "for all the years to come." "Angie and I have cheered together for years and we've always been in the same stunt group along with our two other best friends," she said. "She was my other base. My literal right hand. To me, her loss will be an absence to our group for all the years to come." Lisa Romero-Muniz Lisa Romero-Muniz, a secretary at a high school in New Mexico, was one of the victims of the shooting, a Gallup-McKinley County Schools official said at a news conference Monday. The official said that Romero lost her life during "the senseless shooting" in Las Vegas. She had worked for the school district since 2003 and was most recently serving as a discipline secretary for Miyamura High School. "She was not only an employee of our school district, but was an incredible, loving, and sincere friend, mentor, and advocate for our students in many of the schools in which she worked at," the official said. He said that her colleagues described her as an "outgoing, kind, and considerate" person and the students, whom she worked with for their disciplinary actions, said she "was there for them and she respected them." Her family members posted tributes on Facebook, describing her loss as "total heartbreak" and reminiscing about how happy Romero was at a recent family reunion. Quinton Robbins facebook.com Quinton Robbins, whose death was reported by family members on social media, was a 20-year-old student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Friends described him as the "sweetest, most genuine boy." Kilee Sanders, Robbins' aunt, told Newsweek she was "at a loss." In a Facebook post, Sanders called Robbins "the most kind and loving soul" with a "contagious laugh and smile." Another family member wrote on Facebook to thank Quinton for being a positive influence on his life. "There were so many times growing up when I was in a situation and thought to myself, what would Quinton do," he wrote. "I wouldn’t be who I am today without you." Originally from Henderson, Nevada, Robbins "loved fishing and hunting," according to Valori Houser, 19, who attended high school and served on the student council with him. Houser told BuzzFeed News in a message that Robbins "had lots of friends" and was always a "friendly face in the crowd." One friend wrote on Twitter that Robbins was "suppose[d] to be our best man and god father one day. Dreamt of kids playing t-ball together and growing up together." And Tyce Jones, a family friend, told Newsweek that Robbins coached his little brother’s flag football team and was a "pay-it-forward-kind-of guy." Sonny Melton A registered emergency room nurse at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Tennessee, Sonny Melton attended the Las Vegas concert along with his wife, Heather Gulish Melton, who confirmed his death to USA Today. "I want everyone to know what a kind hearted loving man he was but at this point I can barely breathe," she wrote in a statement to the newspaper. Melton told local media that her husband had saved her life during the attack. A resident of Big Sandy, Tennessee, Melton was remembered by those who knew him as "a great guy to be around" and "an amazing person and amazing nurse" on social media. Melton was a graduate of Union University, completing his Bachelor of Science in Nursing Accelerated degree in 2015. He served as president of his class. In a tribute on Facebook, Christy Davis, assistant professor of nursing, said Melton “had a sweet, kind spirit about him.” “You know how when you met someone and you just know that they’re good and kind? That was Sonny,” she wrote. Jordan McIldoon Canadian Jordan McIldoon, from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, would have turned 24 on Friday, according to a relative who spoke with the Huffington Post. His parents, Al and Angela McIldoon, confirmed his death to Canadian outlet CBC News. "We only had one child," they said. "We just don't know what to do." McIlldoon worked for Jacob Bros Construction in Surrey and attended the concert with his girlfriend. His parents said they had received calls from both their son’s girlfriend and Las Vegas paramedics, and that they were receiving support from the Canadian Consulate. “We’re just all in shock,” McIldoon’s employer, Paul Simpson, told Canada24 News. “He’s a mechanic for us. We’re just in shock here.” A family member told the Huffington Post that McIldoon was just one month shy of completing a course to qualify as a heavy-duty mechanic and that relatives were traveling to Las Vegas to retrieve his body. Jessica Klymchuk View image on Twitter Multiple Canadian news outlets reported Jessica Klymchuk, a school librarian and mother of four from Valleyview, Alberta, was killed in the attack while visiting Las Vegas with her fiancé. Klymchuk worked at St. Stephen’s School, northwest of Edmonton, and her death was confirmed by Rachel Notley, the premier of Alberta. Charleston Hartfield Charleston Hartfield, a Las Vegas Metropolitan police officer who was attending the music festival while off duty, was killed in that attack Sunday, friends of the family confirmed to BuzzFeed News and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Friends said the family has asked for privacy at this time. Hartfield had recently written a book on policing in Las Vegas called Memoirs of a Public Servant and coached a local football team, the Henderson Cowboys, a friend said. The team posted a photo of Hartfield on Facebook Monday where friends shared condolences and memories. “I don’t know a better man than Charles,” said Troy Rhett, a friend who spoke to the Review-Journal. “They say it’s always the good ones we lose early. There’s no truer statement than that with Charles.” The friend who messaged with BuzzFeed News called him “one of the greatest guys I ever met.” Just hours before the shooting took place, Hartfield posted a photo of the banner from the Route 91 country music festival to Facebook. The description of his book reads (in part): "Documenting the thoughts, feelings, and interactions of one Police Officer in the busiest and brightest city in the world, Las Vegas. This memoir takes you through the personal interactions experienced by a Police Officer with not only the community he seeks to serve but with his partners and their personalities. Some calls are over in an instant while others stick with you forever." Bill Wolfe Jr. Bill Wolfe, a 42-year-old youth sports coach from outside Pittsburgh, was among the victims killed during Sunday’s mass shooting, police in his hometown confirmed in a statement. Wolfe and his wife Robin had been celebrating their wedding anniversary in Las Vegas last weekend, and attended the Jason Aldean concert at the Route 91 festival. “It is with the most of broken hearts, the families of Bill Wolfe Jr. and his wife Robyn share that Bill has been confirmed to be among the deceased as a result of the mass attack in Las Vegas,” the Shippensburg Police Department said in a statement posted to Facebook. “Please continue to hold our entire family as well as those affected across the nation in your unending prayers." People in Shippensburg remembered Wolfe as “a man you could be proud to have near you,”and a staple of the local community best known for his role as a Little League and youth wrestling coach. He had long been involved in the Shippensburg High School wrestling program, head coach Tony Yaniello told the Philadelphia Inquirer, and had led the elementary school’s wrestling program for the past several years. The Shippensburg wrestling teams have set up a GoFundMe campaign for Wolfe’s wife, who survived the attack. Churches and sports teams have also organized several vigils for Wolfe this week, and the local school district planned a presentation on how to assist grieving children. In a statement on its website, Shippensburg University identified Wolfe as a member of the class of 1998. “Bill was a graduate of our physics program and has deep ties to Shippensburg,” the school said. “He was a coach, father, husband and friend and his loss is far reaching across the community.” Reacting to the news of Wolfe’s death Tuesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf expressed his condolences. “On behalf of our family and all Pennsylvanians, our hearts go out to the Wolfe family and the entire Shippensburg community,” he said in a statement. Kelsey Meadows After days of attempting to locate Kelsey Meadows in the wake of Sunday’s shooting, family members confirmed in social media posts Tuesday that the 28-year-old Californian was among those who died in the attack. "It is with an absolutely shattered heart that I let everyone know that Kelsey did not survive this tragic event,” Brad Meadows, the victim’s brother, wrote in a Facebook post. “Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers as we try and move past this horrible time.” The message was followed by an outpouring of condolences and memorial messages from Meadows’ friends and family. “Kelsey it seems like just yesterday you ran around the day of my wedding helping make it as amazing as possible,” Yessica Zorola wrote. "I only wish I could have had more time to thank you again and talk some County music with you. You will be missed." "You will forever be missed Kels I love you!" Faith Alexis Meadows wrote. "You will always be in my heart." Taft High School, where Meadows worked as a substitute teacher, also confirmed her passing, noting that she leaves behind “an entire community that loved and respected her.” “Kelsey was smart, compassionate and kind. She had a sweet spirit and a love for children,” the school’s principal, Mary Alice Finn, said in a statement. “Words cannot adequately capture the sorrow felt by her students, colleagues and friends in learning of her passing.” The school said Tuesday that it had set up a scholarship fund in Meadows’ name. Source
