The location of the shooting at Las Vegas Village is on the right, behind the two gray cement columns; the Mandalay Bay hotel is the gold building on the left side of the frame.
Photo courtesy of Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz)/Creative Commons
By Stephen Kondor
Managing Editor of Content
Cuesta officials confirmed this week that campus members were either at the Las Vegas shootings or knew of someone who had been there when a gunman opened fire on a concert crowd in what became the worst mass murder in recent history.
“The community of Las Vegas suffered a tragedy on Sunday night that affected not only those attending the Route 91 music festival, but people from throughout the country and world,†said Mark Sanchez, Cuesta’s assistant superintendent.
“Cuesta College students, faculty, and staff were also impacted; some were at the concert or knew someone who was,†Sanchez said.
The Cuestonian attempted to contact students who were at the concert for comment about their experience in order to humanize the tragedy, but has received no response yet.
Nearly 60 people were killed and more than 500 injured when the gunman unloaded thousands of rounds of ammunition in a hailstorm of gunfire into a concert crowd from a perch dozens of stories up in the Mandalay Bay hotel.
Once Cuesta officials confirmed campus members were affected by the tragedy, they released a statement Thursday offering support and encouraging people to donate blood to help the injured.
“The Cuesta College community stands with those affected – either directly or indirectly – by this senseless act of violence,†Sanchez said.
“You are not alone in this difficult time,†he added. “We have mental health and counseling services available to those who may need support.â€
Student Health Services
SLO Campus (805) 546-3171
North County Campus (805) 591-6200
Counseling Services
SLO Campus (805) 546-3138
North County Campus (805) 591-6225
To donate blood, contact United Blood Services (805) 543 4290 or visit their office at 4119 Broad Street, Suite 100.
