Just days after the devastating Las Vegas shooting that left nearly 60 dead and hundreds injured, the Las Vegas Victims’ Fund has surpassed $9.6 million on crowdfunding platform GoFundMe. Originally seeking $2 million, the initiative is now looking to raise $15 million for those affected by the event.
As previously reported, the shooting took place on Sunday evening during the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas while country star Jason Aldean was performing. The alleged shooter, who was identified as Stephen Paddock, fired at the crowd from his room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Clark County Commission Chair, Steve Sisolak, who launched the GoFundMe campaign, stated:
“We are raising funds to assist the victims of the tragic Las Vegas shooting. I spent last night with Sheriff Lombardo at Clark County’s only level-one trauma center. Funds will be used to provide relief and financial support to the victims and families of the horrific Las Vegas mass shooting.”
Upon the campaign raising the first few millions, Sisolak revealed in an update:
“Our community is grateful for the outpouring of support from folks all across the nation and all around the world. Tens of thousands of people have made their voices heard and are standing up to hate and standing together to support the victims and their families during this difficult time. We want to thank you for your generous contributions.”
Sisolak also noted:
“We want to thank all of you who contributed what you could to support the victims following this heinous attack. We also want to thank MGM, Cosmopolitan, Steve Cloobeck and Diamond Resorts International, Wayne and Kathleen Newton, the Raiders, the NFL Foundation, and GoFundMe for their large contributions to our fund. Our work to help rebuild our community is just beginning and we want to thank you for standing with us during this difficult time.”
All funds will go to the victims of the shooting. Sisolak added that he and his team will make an announcement about the process to distribute the funds:
“We are working in lockstep with all state and local officials, GoFundMe, the Direct Impact Fund, and the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC) to ensure the funds get distributed directly to the victims and families. We will provide additional information about this process in the coming days.”
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