Senators recall acts of heroism, bravery following Las Vegas shooting
WASHINGTON — Tales of heroism and bravery during the chaos of the Las Vegas Strip shooting were told in startling detail on the Senate floor Wednesday as Nevada lawmakers paid tribute to victims of the nation’s deadliest gun violence attack.
Vivid anecdotes were recounted by Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Dean Heller in back-to-back speeches, which were preceded this week by joint efforts to seek aid and relief for victims and survivors of the Oct. 1 tragedy.
The speeches by the two lawmakers were part memorial to victims, and a tribute to those who helped during the maddening moments when a gunman opened fire from his hotel room and fired into a country music festival below.
In her first major speech on the floor, Cortez Masto said she had planned weeks ago to talk about Nevada and its history. Unfortunately, she said, her “maiden speech” would be about mass murder and the need for Congress to pass legislation to prevent gun violence.
Recalling the event two weeks ago, Cortez Masto described an entire emergency room “and hallway floors stained with blood. A recovery room in one of our hospitals turned into a makeshift morgue.”
Most chilling, she said, was a “victim’s phone ringing continuously with calls from her father who would soon learn she would never be coming home.”
Heller said he was still “in shock and mourning” over the events that resulted in deaths of Nevadans and visitors who “were brutally gunned down by a madman on the Las Vegas Strip.”
“This madman’s actions devastated our city but I rise today to tell you that that sense of devastation is being replaced by a renewed sense of community, of family, of unity, of faith, and of strength,” Heller said.
Senate resolution
The floor speeches come two days after the Senate passed a resolution filed by the Nevada senators that denounced the heinous act, honored those killed, offered hope for survivors, recognized the spirit and resilience of Las Vegas and applauded police, federal law enforcement, medical and health care professionals and counterterrorism officials.
The shooting spree at the Mandalay Bay left 58 dead and hundreds wounded. The 64-year-old gunman used multiple rifles from his perch in his 32nd-floor room to rain down bullets on more than 22,000 attending the Route 91 Harvest country music event below.
The gunman shot himself as hotel security and police approached his room. Law enforcement is still trying to determine the motive for the attack.
Senators have historically taken the floor to deliver speeches after tragedies, including the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, mass shootings in Orlando, Florida; Newtown, Connecticut and at Virginia Tech University — even after the mining disaster in West Virginia where 29 lives were lost in 2010.
The appearance of Cortez Masto, a Democrat, and Heller, a Republican, conveyed a message of unity. Despite their political differences, the two have sent joint letters seeking assistance for Nevada and victims from the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Justice Department.
And both spoke of the heroism shown by public service employees, bystanders and concert attendees who risked their lives to help the wounded and shepherd others to safety as bullets rained down from above.
Sacrifice and bravery
Cortez Masto recalled a security guard who was killed on the job.
“As bullets ripped through the night sky and bodies began falling to the ground, he took responsibility for keeping the public safe by directing the panicked crowd. He made the ultimate sacrifice protecting others,” she said.
Heller said Jack Beaton’s last act on earth was one of sacrifice and heroism.
“He draped himself over his wife, protecting her from the deadly bullets. He told her he loved her, then was hit and died in her arms,” Heller said.
Both senators recounted numerous acts of bravery by those who performed heroic acts and lived. Police, Iraq war veterans and those who were just spurred to action were applauded.
People in Las Vegas and throughout the state lined up for blood drives as hospital doctors and nurses worked overtime on the victims. Local businesses helped raise money for the victims, the senators said.
The event was personal for Cortez Masto, whose niece attended the concert. She survived unharmed.
Since the shooting, the Nevada lawmakers have differed on gun control, specifically “bump stock” devices that the gunman installed on some of the semi-automatic rifles used in the attack. The devices accelerate the rate of fire, allowing a semi-automatic to mimic fully automatic weapons.
Cortez Masto has co-sponsored a bill that would ban the sale and manufacture of the devices.
“The right to own a gun is important — and equally important is the right to not be killed by someone who has no business owning a gun,” said Cortez Masto, a former Nevada attorney general.
She also called for background checks to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally unstable.
Heller sides with Republican leaders who have urged the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to review current law and determine whether regulations on the devices should be tightened.
Gun control measures face hurdles in this Congress as Republicans, who control both chambers, have opposed legislation in the past, and the GOP struggles to deliver a legislative victory for President Donald Trump on health care and tax reform.
Heller did not speak about gun legislation or an administrative review in his remarks.
Both senators ended their speeches praising the compassion of the community and using the slogan: “We are Vegas Strong.”
“A deranged man with a rifle brought death and carnage and terror to Las Vegas. But today Las Vegas stands stronger,” Heller said.
Cortez Masto said the “people of Las Vegas responded to the worst tragedy our city has ever seen with unprecedented bravery, and selflessness, and compassion.”
“Work with me to prevent this from ever happening again,” she said.
Contact Gary Martin at 202-662-7390 or gmartin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.
