Photo By Capt. Fernando Ochoa | Pvt. Elias Naffah, 505th Tactical Theater Signal Brigade human resource specialist,...... read more read more
LAS VEGAS – During the worst day in Las Vegas history, Pvt. Elias Naffah, 505th Tactical Theater Signal Brigade human resource specialist, sprang into action when he heard the sound of gunfire at the Route 91 Harvest concert October 1; a day that will now live in infamy.
The Route 91 Harvest concert is a country music festival that has been held annually every year since 2014. It was held directly across from the Luxor Hotel, diagonally across from the Mandalay Bay Resort.
Naffah was sitting near the stage with some friends, all sitting and laughing having a good time, when he heard what sounded like a machine gun. His friends thought it was fireworks, but he knew it was different and said to his friends, “That was a gun we need to get out of here.”
What Naffah didn’t know was that a lone gunman was unleashing a withering hail of bullets from an automatic weapon from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel on about 20,000 people who were enjoying the music concert.
After making sure his friends were safe, Naffah made his way through the crowd to get to where he saw people laying on the ground. This is where he found Ariel Romero. She was sitting by herself with her hands over her face. He kneeled down in front of her and offered her assistants.
At first Naffah didn’t realize it, but soon understood that Romero was shot in her face right by what looked like her cheek bone. He took her by one arm and led her to some off duty EMTs who began giving her treatment.
“We were a mass of humanity, helping each other without a second thought,” said Naffah.
This tragic attack came during the last performances of the Route 91 Harvest concert, during the final night of the three-day event. There were bodies everywhere; there was a lot of screaming, crying and pleads for help.
After helping another female who was shot in the foot, Naffah wasn’t finished. He saw some police officers around groups of people near the right part of the stage. He went up to a female police officer and said, “My name is Elias Naffah and I am a US Soldier. What can I do to help?”
During the chaos, the police, using red metal gates, which were flipped on their sides and other makeshift stretchers, began to stack wounded victims and take them to safety.
Naffah and three other strangers made their way to the street where more police officers and volunteers began filling up trucks, police cars and other vehicles to get people to the hospital.
The Las Vegas community came together that night and strangers became family, working together to heal wounds and sorrow.
Elias Naffah later visited with Ariel Romero at the Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, where they met for the first time since that tragic night. The meeting was very emotional. Naffah also met with her family, who were very thankful for his bravery.
Romero told Naffah that they will always have a special bond and that they will always be in touch with each other.
The 505th Tactical Theater Signal Brigade is a specialized form of military brigade dedicated to providing communications and dedicated to Information and Communication Support (ICS) for both operational and administrative functions
| Date Taken: | 10.16.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.22.2017 22:42 |
| Story ID: | 252595 |
| Location: | LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, US |
| Web Views: | 854 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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