It is without a doubt that the mass shooting at the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada is one of the most traumatic times in both American and Country music history.
However, this place is not forever going to be a bitter reminder of the event. Instead, MGM Resorts, which owns the now-closed festival grounds announced that this will become a community center.
Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting Site to Become Community Center
The Las Vegas Strip festival grounds are going to be a community, athletic center, and parking for the new stadium being built for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders, the company announced Tuesday.
The community and athletic center will sit on the north end of the site, known as the Las Vegas Village. And, when the Oakland Raiders moves to Las Vegas in the Summer of 2020, parts of the land will be used for parking for Allegiant Stadium.
However, it’s the memorial to the shooting’s 58 victims that will be the most important part of the complex.
As per the Las Vegas Review-Journal, MGM Resorts mentions that this is their effort to continue being a part of the community.
“We know that for many, the Village property will forever be linked to the tragic loss of life that took place there on Oct. 1. We will never forget the victims, and all of those impacted by that evening. As the second anniversary nears, we remain committed to being part of the community effort to continue healing and moving forward…It was important to us that the long-term use of the property include the community in some way.”
The company owns the site of Route 91 festival grounds at the Mandalay Bay casino-resort. It was here where a gunman in a high-rise suite opened fire on the crowd of 22,000. He killed 58 people, making it the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history. Headliner Jason Aldean was onstage when the shooting began.