I Survived the Las Vegas Massacre. Here’s How We Can Make Our Communities Safer.

• Sandra Jauregui
• April 1, 2019

I was there when the Las Vegas shooter opened fire. Now I’m introducing a bill that will save lives from gun violence.

I was looking forward to October 1st, 2017. I was excited to spend the evening with my husband, my friends, and thousands of other country music fans. The memories from that night haunt me to this day.

I can still hear the pops of gunshots. I can feel myself gasping for breath as my friends and I ran, desperately trying to stay alive while others around us fell victim to the gunfire. We were fortunate enough to escape without injury, but the carnage left behind by the shooter from the 32nd floor of a nearby hotel was everywhere.

I don’t share these memories quickly or easily. Talking about that night is difficult, and most of my peers in the legislature don’t even know that I was at the festival. But in the year-and-a-half since the shooting that took 58 lives, I’ve realized that it’s time to speak up. As an assemblywoman from Nevada’s 41st District, I recognize that our state must take action to prevent mass shootings like the one I survived, and the everyday gun violence that claims the lives of almost 100 people in our country each day.

That’s why I am introducing AB291, a comprehensive bill to combat gun violence in Nevada.

AB291 will make Nevada communities safer by:

Banning modifications like bump stocks that increase a weapon’s rate of fire

The Las Vegas shooter was able to cause so much harm in such a short amount of time because his weapon was outfitted with a bump stock. Bump stocks effectively turn a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machine gun, allowing already-deadly weapons to cause even more harm. This bill would ban any modification that increases a gun’s rate of fire and prevent anyone from using this technology to harm people again.

Reducing the acceptable concentration of alcohol present in a person’s blood or breath while carrying a firearm

It’s simple. If you’re too drunk to drive a car, you’re too drunk to carry a gun. This bill would prohibit people from possessing a firearm when the concentration of alcohol in their blood or breath is.08 or more, the same limit for driving.

Allowing towns and cities to implement their own regulations to keep their communities safe from gun violence

Under current Nevada law, the state can preempt towns and cities and prevent them from implementing their own gun reforms. This bill will give power back to localities so they can pursue gun violence prevention measures that make sense in their own communities.

Prohibiting permitless concealed carry in public spaces like schools and airports

People who do carry firearms in public should be properly trained and have express permission to do so. Otherwise, the chance of them accidentally or intentionally firing a weapon increases, making us all less safe. This bill will prohibit concealed carry on the property of a public school or childcare facility without a permit.

These are commonsense and comprehensive steps we can take to keep our communities safe.

I know what it’s like to feel powerless, to call your sister on the phone and let her know you might not ever see her again. That is a terror no American should ever endure. We can’t bring back those we lost in Las Vegas, or erase the trauma our community has suffered. But we can move forward—and we can save lives. I’m proud to introduce AB291 and fight for a safer Nevada. I hope you’ll stand with me in supporting it.