Survey on Route 91 mass shooting memorial plans to open

The first official survey seeking input about a permanent memorial for the victims of the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas will be made available to the public next month.

A final version of the 15-question survey was unanimously approved Wednesday by the 1 October Memorial Committee during its monthly meeting. Committee members described it as the first of many questionnaires that will be conducted throughout the memorial planning process, which could span years before a final memorial is unveiled.

“This is the first expression of curiosity that you are outreaching to the community, so we want it to be very broad with just pure curiosity,” Punam Mathur, a staff member of the committee, said during a lengthy discussion ahead of the vote. “This is not the only survey. It is not the only inquiry. It is simply the first.”

UNLV’s Cannon Survey Center will handle the data collection, according to Mathur.

In a short marketing presentation during the meeting, county spokesman Erik Pappa said a news conference will be held at a later date to officially announce the survey, which will be on the homepage of the county’s website.

The committee said Wednesday it is aiming to open up the survey from March 1 to March 15 with the hope of gathering diverse input from anyone directly or indirectly affected by the Oct. 1, 2017, shooting — including survivors, family members of victims, first responders and health care workers.

The shooting, which unfolded on the final night of the Route 91 Harvest music festival, initially killed 58 people and left hundreds more injured. Two survivors later died from injuries suffered in the shooting.

Results of the survey are expected to be available for discussion by the committee’s next meeting on March 24, according to Chairperson Tennille Pereira.

To learn more about the 1 October Memorial Committee, which holds its public meetings on the fourth Wednesday of each month, visit www.ClarkCountyNV.gov/1OctoberMemorial

Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.