Families detail victims’ lives: ‘Nothing but good memories’
A son remembered a mother's laugh. Elementary school employees wore red, white and blue to honor a beloved receptionist. A wife recalled her husband's ultimate devotion: losing his life to protect hers by diving over her while bullets flew.
Families and friends mourned — and celebrated — on Tuesday the lives of at least 59 people who died when a gunman opened fire on a concert in
Across
HUSBAND PROTECTED WIFE ON ANNIVERSARY
"I've never experienced gunshots but when I felt air go right past my arm I told my husband, 'I don't think that's fireworks,'" she said in a telephone interview from her home in
"He told me, 'Get down, get down, get down,'" and put his own body on top of hers for protection, she said. "He told me, 'I love you, Laurie' and his arms were around me and his body just went heavy on me."
Suddenly, she knew her husband had been shot. "I screamed his name and he wasn't answering me, there was a lot of blood," she said.
Another man, someone who told her he was a nurse and an EMT, ran up and told her to put her husband on his side. Helping, she saw blood and heard her husband struggling to breathe.
As quickly as the shooting stopped it started again and now, with lights on, the man told one of the husband's friends who attended the festival with them to take the women to safety.
"So we ran," she said.
Later, friends told
Calls to hospitals in search of
On Tuesday morning she was back home, trying both to comfort a 20-year-old son and an 18-year-old daughter who had just lost their father and be comforted by them.
Beaton said her husband, a 54-year-old construction worker, wouldn't want much said publicly about his death. But she wanted people to hear how he had protected her, just as he always had done.
"I knew every day that he would protect me and take care of me and love me unconditionally, and what he did is no surprise to me, and he is my hero," she said.
"The kid was loved by everyone," said his uncle,
Robbins, 20, was among the people killed Sunday in
Robbins was up on his knees, looking for a spot to take his girlfriend for shelter, when he was hit, said Wells, recounting Robbins' girlfriend's account of the terrifying moments.
"I think I got shot," Robbins looked at her and said before collapsing.
"He died probably within seconds after the bullet hit him," Wells said.
His parents sat beside Robbins, who had already died, until about 5 or 6 in the morning, Wells said, before rushing home to make sure they could tell his 11-year-old brother the news themselves.
Robbins was an active member of the Mormon church and had hoped to go on a mission before he was diagnosed with diabetes several years ago, Wells said. He worked for the athletic department in his home city of
"The positive impact he had on everyone was huge," Wells said.
MOTHER-DAUGHTER CONCERT DATE ENDS IN TRAGEDY
Her daughter was unharmed in the Sunday night shooting, but the 35-year-old Warino Alvarado was one of at least 59 people killed when a gunman opened fire at the concert-goers.
Friends and family received confirmation she had died Monday night from
Warino Alvarado ran an in-home day care center in
"She has made huge impacts on those around her with even the smallest gestures,"
'I HAVE NOTHING BUT GOOD MEMORIES OF MY MOM'
As
"When she would take me to the movies as a kid, I was just waiting to hear her laugh because it would just crack me up," Rees said.
Cohen, 58, and her boyfriend
Rees met Taylor last year, when he traveled to
Cohen was a woman who lived life to the fullest and made everyone around her feel their best, Rees said.
"I feel sorry for all of the people in the world who never got a chance to meet her," he said.
'HE'S OUR ONLY SON': A
A fan of country music, Berger and his roommate along with four others were enjoying the Jason Aldean show near the
"He tried to go to him but they were trying to get people out of the way," Berger said. He wasn't sure where Steven wound up, she added.
Steven's father,
"He's our only son," Berger said choking up. "It's terrible. At least now we know. Now we got busy things to do with three grandchildren."
'THIS IS AS TRAGIC AS IT GETS'
"It's just so tragic that this evil, evil man would do this, would just destroy the life of this beautiful young woman," said
She was the only daughter in a well-known
"This is as tragic as it gets," Myers said.
A one-time high school cheerleader who loved country music,
A day after the 20-year-old's death, co-workers at the software company where she worked held a vigil. Friends and colleagues gazed at white candles lit in her memory Monday night.
"No one could possibly have a bad day when Bailey was around," said a statement by
"If you have ever called or visited our office, she was the perky one that helped direct you to the staff member you needed," he said.
Schweitzer graduated in 2015 from
'EVERYBODY STARTED RUNNING FOR COVER AND THE GUY KEPT SHOOTING'
Day, 54, of
"He was just a fun-loving boy, a great family man who loved to spend time with his family," said
The elder Day, who lives near
"They were standing right there and they said he and another young man there both took a bullet in the head," said Day, 75. "Everybody started running for cover and the guy kept shooting."
Day said none of his grandchildren were struck by bullets, but his son was. A friend rushed
Struggling to speak, Day said his son loved his three daughters and son and his two grandchildren. The whole group jumped at the chance to drive to
"We always had fun together," he said.
A GRUELING SEARCH FOR A MISSING WOMAN, AND THEN THE WORST
At the concert, her husband told her to hide, then to run, as he helped a concertgoer next to him who had been shot, said
Her husband,
He told Stacee and the couple's three friends to protect themselves behind a nearby barrier. Then he told them to run, just before the second round of shots rang out,
He has not heard from Stacee since, and she was not carrying an ID.
"It's been a grueling 15 hours with no information,"
Stacee, 50, worked as a hairdresser.
NEWS FELT 'LIKE AN ATOMIC BOMB WENT OFF IN MY HEART'
When Jones heard that Irvine was among those killed at the
"When does it stop?!" he wrote.
HUSBAND LOSES HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART
The couple who were high school sweethearts have two children.
Maddin met Parks while working at
"It breaks my heart," Maddin said. "People go to concerts to have a good time, connect with others and escape the tragedies of this world."
'I CAN HEAR HER LAUGH ... RIGHT NOW'
The 46-year-old mother of three boys worked for the
"Neysa has brought so much joy, fun and laughter to Technologent — she will be greatly missed by all!" said a statement posted by the
The company has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to help her family.
Tonks grew up in
"I can hear her laugh, her voice in my head and my heart right now," Yerage told KUTV.
FAMILY HOPED HOSPITAL MADE A MISTAKE
Her boyfriend, sister and friend tried carrying her to safety while dodging bullets and managed to get her over a fence and to a nearby highway, where they flagged down a passing driver, who took them to a hospital in the back of his truck.
After she was admitted, they were told hours later that she had died, Parker wrote, but the hospital system listed her still as alive because she was confused with another patient.
"It has been tragic for our family with her dad still hoping it was a mistake and she's still alive," Parker wrote.
After the family provided her ID and photos she was confirmed to be among the dead.
"Our entire family is heartbroken," Parker wrote on her Facebook page.
STUDENTS MOURN LOSS OF BELOVED TEACHER
"Kelsey was smart, compassionate and kind. She had a sweet spirit and a love for children,"
The school district said grief counselors were being made available to students and staff to "assist in coping with the incomprehensible loss."
Her brother,
"So it is with an absolutely shattered heart that I let everyone know that Kelsey did not survive this tragic event," Meadows posted Tuesday. "Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers as we try and move past this horrible time."
That was about
"Nothing was confirmed, and we still had hope that she was alive,"
Melissa's parents and siblings hurried to
"They searched Monday ... searched everywhere," said another cousin,
Around
Farnetti said Melissa had been posting photos from the festival on Instagram and
"I'm sure she liked country music. I know she was really into music, period," Farnetti said. "I never once saw her in a bad mood or upset about anything. She was always positive. Her smile would just brighten up everyone's day."
WRESTLING
Members of the Shippensburg Greyhound Wrestling team in southern
A page established to accept donations for Wolfe's family quickly exceeded its goal of
Wolfe initially was listed as missing Monday until his death later was confirmed.
As an engineer, Wolfe spent several years working on major projects for a central
The Chambersburg Public Opinion reported that Wolfe and his wife Robyn were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary in
'CHEERFUL YOUNG LADY WITH A WARM HEART'
Gomez graduated from
Gomez participated in the
Friend
ELEMENTARY STUDENTS REMEMBER 'THE HUB' OF THEIR SCHOOL
"She's the hub,"
Smith also was very patriotic, Finch added.
"Today (Tuesday) everyone at the school is wearing red, white and blue in her honor," Finch said.
Smith, 53, of
"She was a big country music fan," said Finch.
'BEAUTIFUL LIFE' CUTE SHORT IN
LeRocque had attended the concert Sunday with her husband and their 6-year-old daughter. LeRocque's daughter was taken back to their hotel before the shooting occurred.
Champagne, who is LeRocque's mother, says LeRocque's husband, Jason, was next to her when she fell. He had thought she was ducking but she did not get up.
Champagne says LeRocque loved cooking, music and her family. She worked at the
LeRocque was from
'BEAUTIFUL SOUL' AMONG FOUR CANADIANS KILLED
Her aunt,
"She was a beautiful soul. She was a wonderful mother and our family is going to miss her dearly," Rodgers said when contacted at her home in
Two other women from
Medig, 28, who grew up in Jasper, had taken time off from her job at Moxie's restaurant in west
"This had started to become an annual thing for her. I believe it was her third trip," Collingwood said.
When news broke about the shooting Sunday, Collingwood said he immediately called Medig, It went right to voice mail, and she didn't answer texts or Facebook messages.
"She was kind of a rock and, as of Thursday, she would have been our newest manager," Collingwood said. "A lot of us around here have super heavy hearts and we already miss her."
Klymchuk, 28, was a mother of four who lived the northwestern
"Jessica was an amazing mother who worked to provide her children with as best a life as she could,"
A relative said McIldoon would have turned 24 on Friday and was a month shy of completing a course to qualify as a heavy-duty mechanic.
VETERAN REMEMBERED AS JOVIAL,
"He is a guy that could always put a smile on your face ... after all the stuff he had been through," said
Roybal, 28, worked at
"He was the guy who if your car broke down in the middle of the night, you could call him and he would come help you," Harman said. "He is that guy who would find solutions, not report on problems."
Harman said Roybal served in
Roybal mentioned the dog in a
He ends the post: "What's it like to be shot at? It's a nightmare no amount of drugs, no amount of therapy and no amount of drunk talks with your war veteran buddies will ever be able to escape. Cheers boys."
Roybal's co-worker,
He heard Monday morning that his friend had been killed.
"There's been several times I've had to just walk out of the club and have a good cry, go get in my car," Alexander said. "And I just drove down the street this morning, just go have a good cry 'cause it's tough."
Alexander described Roybal as a "goofball" who was full of energy and had an infectious smile.
"I just had such a fun time any time I was able to interact with him. ... Chris had that attraction power. He had the ability to make people want to hang around him," Alexander said.
OFF-DUTY OFFICER COACHED KIDS, WAS RESPECTED LEADER
Off-duty
Hartfield, 34, was known as a selfless, respected leader who brought out the best in his players, said
Hartfield, who also went by "Chuck" or "Charles" or even "
Hartfield is also listed at author of a book titled "Memoirs of Public Servant" about his time as a
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