On the night of October 1, 2017, a shooter opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay across the street from the Route 91 Harvest Festival during which Jason Aldean was performing. Veterans and citizens worked together to remedy the scene, send survivors to help and care for the wounded, even with the booming of the gunshots.

     As Chief Gregory Cassell of the Clark County Fire Department, while being interviewed by the New York Times, put it, “Everybody that was alive or salvageable was dragged outside the venue by bystanders, all the great Samaritans.” Now, much of what came out of this was a renewed and even more bitter gun debate. The opinion you may have can’t be given by a politician or anyone else, but rather, should be what you believe to be right. The question remains: how and what are we sacrificing to do so? Zetao Pan ‘21 says,“The shooting makes people want to think more negatively on guns.”

     The shooting not only brought the gun control debate front and center in the eyes of Americans and the media, but it also highlighted the heroism and bravery of ordinary citizens as well as veterans.