Acts of Kindness: The Heroes of 1 October
When we think about 1 October, chills travel down our spine. But the darkness was outshined by selfless acts of bravery, compassion, and heroism from ordinary people.
In a video by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the trauma can be felt throughout the recorded bodycam footage. However, the one glimmering piece of hope in the video was ordinary people helping each other.
People were carrying the wounded, and off-duty EMTs and medics from other states attended to those who were hurt. One man in the video told police how he carried a man to an ambulance. Another man used his personal pick-up truck to transport people. The strength and resilience of everyday people stitched the power of community into this quilt of survival.
Facebook Groups For Survivors Share Other Heroic Stories From 1 October
Facebook groups for Route 91 survivors further illuminate the heroes from that night. One user told the story of a stranger shielding her with his body.
“My cousin and I came across you and your girlfriend hiding behind a small palm tree by the Tropicana. You shielded all of us with your body. In between rounds, we ran, I couldn’t run anymore and you kept telling me you weren’t leaving me when I said just leave me, and said please my girlfriend is up there.
“She was ahead of us with my cousin. You kept me going and we got separated at Tropicana. I think of you often, a man I did not know, covering us with his body and pulling me along when I didn’t think I could run anymore. You are my hero, Thank you, I hope you are safe and well,” the user posted on Facebook.
Another powerful story is Scotty Pettersen of Seattle.
Scott A. Pettersen saved countless people. He was a Cascade High School and Sno-Isle Class of 2008 alumni. On a GoFundMe page, his mother wrote that he was always the life of the party.
During the shooting, Yahoo News reports that Pettersen led his girlfriend and another family to an ambulance. And during that crucial moment, his EMT and firefighter training kicked in. In fact, he helped so many victims that he lost count.
Related: Free Mental Health Resources In Nevada
“I grabbed gauze, grabbed bandages and started wrapping a guy up, and another guy came up who was shot in the back, and I started wrapping him,” Pettersen told KIRO-TV in Seattle.
Pettersen saved, bandaged and treated victims. He was the true definition of a hero.
Yahoo News reports, “As Pettersen was helping the man with the back wound, a woman who had been shot in the thigh showed up ‘bleeding everywhere,’ Pettersen said. ‘Two seconds later, a guy comes in with a shoulder wound. Another five seconds, a lady comes in with a neck wound. It didn’t stop,’” he said.
Further, he treated victims until he was covered in their blood and the ambulance ran out of supplies, Yahoo reports.
Through his heroic acts, he saved lives. But sadly, Pettersen died from suicide on Jan. 18, 2021. He was 31 years old.
In a GoFundMe for Pettersen’s memorial scholarship fund, his mother wrote, “While Scotty was always the life of the party, the one with the biggest smile and an infectious laugh, it was only after his death that we learned of the mental health challenges he was facing. Always one to help others, we will forever be saddened that he did not seek help for himself. From here forward, we have committed to raise money and awareness for suicide and mental health-related causes and to also support those who are focused on a career path of firefighting/EMT.”
Thank you to Scott Pettersen for your heroic acts. We will never forget you in Las Vegas.
1 October Survivors Reunites With Man Who Saved Them
In 2018 — a year after the shooting — the community came together at the Community Healing Garden. A man named Daniel Rosales reunited with a married couple during the memorial ceremony. Rosales helped save these two people’s lives by grabbing the husband’s arm and telling him that people were being shot. The husband said that he truly believes Rosales helped save his life during the shooting.
When they reunited, everyone was overcome with tears. It was a beautiful site that was covered in trauma and community.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or struggling with memories of 1 October, it’s important to know that help is available. Here is a list of resources for those who need mental health support.
