Las Vegas shooting victim: Karessa Royce, UNLV junior
A UNLV student and former member of the Rebel Girls dance team was shot in the shoulder after a gunman opened fire on the Route 91 country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip.
Karessa Royce, 22, a junior at UNLV, suffered a gunshot wound that pierced her lung and caused it to collapse, according to a GoFundMe page. Royce had surgery and is stable.
Royce’s friend, Pamela Rios, said she brought Royce to the concert as a birthday gift, even though she isn’t a country music fun.
Rios said she heard fireworks, 30 seconds of country singer Jason Aldean playing, and then “people started freaking out,” and trampling others. She said it was like war as if shot from above.
“I felt like it’s not going to end, ever,” Rios said.
As of 1:45 p.m. Monday, over $19,000 had been raised on the GoFundMe page that was set up on Royce’s behalf, surpassing the initial goal of $5,000.
Contact Natalie Bruzda at nbruzda@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3897. Follow @NatalieBruzda on Twitter.