Pray for Las Vegas. Image credit: The Shops at Crystals
Hotels and retailers located on the Las Vegas Strip have turned to Twitter to help those impacted by the shooting on the night of Oct. 1.
During country singer Jason Aldean’s closing performance at the Route 91 Harvest festival, a gunman perched on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino fired down into the crowd of 22,000 concert-goers. The outdoor music festival was held diagonally across the street from the Mandalay Bay in an open field, leaving attendees with little to no coverage.
Las Vegas responds
As of press time, 59 concert-goers have died and another 527 are reported as injured, ranging from gunshot wounds to stampede-related injuries. The assailant, Stephen Paddock, took his own life as Las Vegas SWAT entered his hotel room, but a motive for the shooting is not yet known.
In response to the shooting, Twitter once again became a source of information for those directly impacted by the Oct. 1 events.
The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, owned by MGM Resorts International, is using its official Twitter account as a message board to help those in need.
Our thoughts & prayers are with the victims of last night's tragic events. We’re grateful for the immediate actions of our first responders. pic.twitter.com/Arf8edj1iZ
— Mandalay Bay Resort (@MandalayBay) October 2, 2017
Messages include a note of gratitude to Las Vegas first responders and the numbers to reach crisis counselors. On-site crisis counselors areas have also been set up at the Mandalay Bay.
Due to the number of people impacted, Mandalay Bay also asked via Twitter for volunteer counselors to assist in speaking with guests and its employees.
The hotel has also established a dedicated hotline for victims, family members and others who with to speak with the Mandalay Bay directly.
Also, Mandalay retweeted helpful information from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, such as the number to call for missing peoples, and messages from McCarran Airport. Due to concert-goers fleeing the venue, many lost their identification, but the airport has set up a verification check point for those without proper IDs.
We are not alone. pic.twitter.com/UXwHhi3p8n
— Mandalay Bay Resort (@MandalayBay) October 3, 2017
Fellow MGM Resort International properties, such as the MGM Grand and Luxor, have shared the same posts to keep their guests informed.
In messages of solidarity, other hotels and retailers on the Las Vegas Strip, such as the Wynn, Four Seasons, Caesar’s Palace and Simon malls-managed The Shops at Crystals, have shared condolences to the families who have lost loved ones and send thoughts and prayers to those injured.
Pray for Las Vegas. #PrayForTheWorld. Thank you to all first responders! pic.twitter.com/uoHRiNIYb8
— Caesars Palace (@CaesarsPalace) October 2, 2017