Route 91 Harvest Festival Memorial Planned for Las Vegas

Two acres of land have been donated for a tribute to victims and heroes.

Written by Chris Parton
Route 91 Harvest Festival Memorial Planned for Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 5: Fifty-eight white crosses for the victims of Sunday night's mass shooting stand on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip, October 5, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. On October 1, Stephen Paddock killed at least 58 people and injured more than 450 after he opened fire on a large crowd at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Almost four years after the deadly mass shooting at Las Vegas’ Route 91 Harvest Festival, plans are coming together for a permanent memorial on the site.

According to reporting from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a plot of land on the site of the tragedy has been set aside as a place of rememberance, and Las Vegas officials are currently seeking public input on the design.

Two acres of land near the famous Vegas strip were donated by MGM Resorts International — which operates Mandalay Bay, where the shooting took place. The parcel is in the northeast corner of the Las Vegas Village (the site of the 2017 festival), and in the years since the shooting, that land has been subdivided. Part of it is now reserved as parking for the nearby NFL stadium, and the remaining portion is an “athletic center and community gathering point.” A temporary sign is going up now to tell people the memorial is coming, meant to tribute the victims of a heinous act.

On October 1, 2017, a gunman inside a hotel room at the Mandalay Bay Resort opened fire on thousands of fans across the street, killing 60 and injuring hundreds before taking his own life. Jason Aldean was onstage at the time, part of a star studded Route 91 Harvest Festival that included many of country’s brightest stars. During the long ordeal, many fans and locals risked their lives to help the wounded escape, placing themselves directly in the line of fire.

“Having a permanent memorial commemorating the victims and heroes of 1 October is vital to our community’s continued healing, and we are honored to donate a portion of the Village site to help bring that memorial to fruition,” says an official statement from MGM Resorts. “We look forward to supporting the [memorial] committee as it proceeds with planning for the memorial.”