Remembering 1 October: A Collaborative Initiative to Document the Tragedy and Response

On October 1, 2017 a horrifying tragedy struck Las Vegas. A gunman opened fire into a crowd of 22,000 attending Route 91 Harvest Festival. Fifty-eight victims were killed and almost 500 people were injured in one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history.

It is important that we do not forget. We must remember and honor the fallen and injured, the heroes and heroines, the first responders, the strength and resiliency of our community’s response, and the outpouring of national support. To preserve these stories, University Libraries Special Collections and Archives, Nevada State Museum Las Vegas, Clark County Museum, News Bureau of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), and the Mob Museum are collaborating to document the event, its aftermath, and #VegasStrong. 

The Special Collections and Archives at University Libraries is actively collecting primary and secondary source evidence from the internet. With the help of Archive-It, a service of the Internet Archive, they have preserved first-hand testimonies from attendees and first responders, photographs and videos of the event and the subsequent outpouring of community support, and related news coverage. Using a tool called twarc developed by the Documenting the Now project, they captured millions of tweets from and about the event. Contact Special Collections and Archives special.collections@unlv.edu or 702-895-2234 for more information.

Individuals may also contribute their digital photographs, videos, or memories to the University Libraries collections. Contributions should document the event and its aftermath, the victims and the survivors, the community response, the vigils and commemorations, or other related content. Upload contributions at this submission page.

University Libraries’ Oral History Research Center is launching an oral history project to collect and preserve first-hand testimonies from first responders, witnesses, and survivors. To nominate a person to be interviewed, please contact oral.history@unlv.edu or 702-895-2222.

The Nevada State Museum Las Vegas is collecting artifacts, memorabilia, and other documentation about the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival. It is also collecting physical documents related to the event and its aftermath. To donate materials, please contact Crystal Van Dee at 702-822-8751 or cvandee@nevadaculture.org.

The Clark County Museum is collecting artifacts, memorabilia, and other documentation from memorials and vigils. To donate materials, please contact cynthia.sanford@clarkcountynv.gov.

In its role as part of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the Las Vegas News Bureau has captured images of the Vegas Strong messaging from the marquee tributes, vigils and memorials, to commemorative ceremonies at events such as the UNLV football game and the Golden Knights hockey game. You can find related photographs and videos on the LVCVA Newsroom webpage.

The Mob Museum will focus on collecting objects, images, official documents and stories that illustrate the activities of law enforcement agencies during and after this tragic event. To donate materials, please contact schumacher@themobmuseum.org.

In coming months, University Libraries, the Nevada State Museum, the Clark County Museum, the LVCVA News Bureau, and the Mob Museum plan to collaborate to provide public access to the gathered materials and help ensure our community remembers 1 October.

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