5 Ways To Help Las Vegas Massacre Victims

As Americans continue to make sense of Sunday’s Las Vegas massacre, which left 59 dead and at least 527 injured at the Route 91 Harvest festival, many are eager to take action.

Here are five constructive ways to get involved in the healing process:

Donate Money

The Las Vegas Victims’ Fund established by Clark County commission chair Steve Sisolak is more than $400,000 short of targets to support victims and their families.

The American Red Cross is also accepting donations, and the National Center for Victims of Crime will contribute 100 percent of proceeds from its National Compassion Fund to those affected.

Donate Blood

Blood is coming in from across the country and will be needed in the coming weeks as victims undergo surgeries, the United Blood Service told ABC News. Locate nearby blood drives here.

Share The Truth

Following initial reports, trolls published and spread falsehoods to politicize the massacre and provoke misdirected outrage. One far-right website incorrectly identified the shooter as “a Democrat who liked Rachel Maddow, MoveOn.org and associated with the anti-Trump army,” according to CNN. Similar stories circulated on 4chan and other sites.

Propagating the facts can counter efforts to incite undue division.

Propose Solutions

Whether in contacting your legislators with gun ownership or anti-violence perspectives or getting involved in community peace programs, lay the social groundwork to prevent future loss.

Publicize The Positives

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that,” as Martin Luther King Jr. said. The best in humanity came out in the worst of circumstances, and celebrating the heroism in Las Vegas can go a long way as the community recovers.

Related Link: Gun Stocks Trade Higher In Wake Of Las Vegas Shooting _________ Image Credit: By Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons