As authorities investigate what made suspected gunman Stephen Paddock fire upon a country music festival in Las Vegas, the Washington Post is working to share the stories of his 59 victims.
At time of writing, 16 of those killed in last night’s mass shooting have received affecting obituaries. Take the recollection of 35-year-old professional fisherman Adrian Murfitt:
Ryan Kopiasz met Murfitt at a party in high school. Kopiasz’s friends hadn’t shown up, and Murfitt came over to talk to him so he wouldn’t be alone.
“He was the thoughtful type that would see a random person at a get-together and not let them sit by themselves,” Kopiasz said. “They don’t make them like that anymore.”
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Murfitt attended the concert with his friend Brian MacKinnon. MacKinnon said in a Facebook post that Murfitt died in his arms.
Here’s the harrowing glimpse at 20-year-old Quinton Robbin’s life and death:
When Robbins first clutched his chest, his girlfriend thought something was wrong with his sugar levels, she told his grandmother. They were on a date at a Jason Aldean concert. They hadn’t been together for very long, but she knew he had diabetes and thought he might need his insulin. She didn’t yet realize that a bullet had torn through his body.
And the tragic loss of 42-year-old Jennifer Irvine:
Kyle Kraska, the sports director for CBS News 8 in San Diego, had been friends with Irvine for 15 years. “She was a ball of energy, she was fun, she was just full of life,” he said.
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She had been shot in the head. Kraska, who was himself nearly killed in a shooting two years ago, said he took some small comfort in knowing his friend probably died instantly, without fear or pain. “I hope that’s the case,” he said. “Her life ended singing and dancing and smiling.”
The Washington Post intends to tell the story of every life extinguished in the shooting. You can, and should, read those stories HERE.
