Gabby Giffords remembers the victims of the Las Vegas shooting eight years later

WASHINGTON — GIFFORDS, the national gun violence prevention organization led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, shared the following statement honoring the lives lost in the October 1 mass shooting eight years ago tomorrow. The shooter fired more than 1,000 rounds during the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, killing 60 people and injuring 800 more.

“My heart aches for the dozens of lives lost in this devastating shooting, which never should have happened,” said former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. “I’m also thinking of the thousands of survivors whose lives were forever altered that day, and the family members who will always have to carry that pain. In the aftermath of the shooting, we saw Nevada’s lawmakers listen to demands for change and pass several gun laws that have undoubtedly saved lives. This progress was crucial, but there is still more work to do before all Americans are free from the tragedy of gun violence.”

Following the shooting, Nevada lawmakers took meaningful steps to fight gun violence in their state, including banning bump stocks. Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui, a survivor of the Las Vegas shooting, introduced successful legislation including an extreme risk protection order law, trigger activator ban, ghost gun regulation, and child access prevention law.