Sean Bean, of Livermore, Calif., hugs his girlfriend Katie Kavetski, of San Leandro, Calif., left, as Travis Reed, of Mexico, Ind., right, comforts his girlfriend Anna Travnicek, second from right, on Las Vegas Strip, Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. All attended a concert where a mass shooting occurred on Sunday. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
University of Connecticut President Susan Herbst sent an email to the UConn community this morning in response to Sunday night’s deadly shooting in Las Vegas.
“This morning, we watched in horror and heartbreak as yet another mass killing has taken place, this time in Las Vegas, Nevada. At least 50 people have been killed. It is one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history,” Herbst said in the email.
Herbst said the shooting created the same sense of outrage, disbelief and sorrow felt after last year’s shooting in Orlando and the 2015 shooting in Paris.
“With Newtown forever seared into our memories, we in Connecticut are especially familiar with the misery this brings. I hope that our nation never becomes numb to the slaughter of innocent people here and around the world,” Herbst said.
Herbst said the university is working to determine if any students, faculty or staff have been affected by the shooting. She said UConn will reach out to anyone affected to provide the assistance they are able to offer.
“We can feel helpless in the face of these events and it is difficult to know what to do. If nothing else, this is always good advice: if you love somebody, tell them today. Don’t wait,” Herbst said.
Students spoke on the shooting and President Herbst’s reaction to it.
“I think it’s very sad that there was a mass shooting in Las Vegas, but I’m happy that Susan Herbst sent that email out to help relieve UConn students,” third-semester actuarial science major Charith Tirumani said.
Third-semester communication and economics major Sowon Chung said president Herbst’s email was how she learned about the shooting.
“I liked how she said that if any student is affected by it, UConn wants to help them,” Chung said.
At around 10:08 local time Sunday night (1:08 E.T. Monday morning), a gunman fired on a crowd attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, according to CNN.
Country music singer Jason Aldean was performing when the gunshots began. At least 58 people have died and 515 were injured, according to CNN.
Gabriella Debenedictis is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at gabriella.debenedictis@uconn.edu.