On Sunday 1st October 2017, as 22,000 people were enjoying a country music open-air festival in Las Vegas, a lone shooter opened fire on the music fans.
From the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, with an aerial view, it was reported that at around 22:05 local time (05:05 GMT) the festival attendees were sprayed with rapid-fire gunfire that lasted for approximately 10 minutes.
The propagator of this heinous act was 64-year-old Stephen Paddock who lived in a retirement community in Mesquite, Nevada. Paddock killed 58 concert-goers and injured nearly 500 others, leaving police bewildered as to what caused him to commit mass murder.
Paddock armed himself with 23 weapons, and had set up cameras both inside and outside the suite to see anyone approaching the room, police said.
The attack is the worst mass shooting in the United States since Omar Mateen opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 in June 2016.
Whilst many theories have been presented as to why Paddock should seek to kill so many people indiscriminately remains a mystery; the second amendment remains firmly in place as the owner of a gun is the right of every American. The irony of this is that Americans can go to Wallmart (ASDA) and buy a box of baby nappies and a shotgun in the same store but it is illegal to sell Kinders Delight chocolate in the same store.
In response to this crime, it was reported that bumper stocks are selling out across America, as momentum gathers in Congress to ban the rifle modification used by the Las Vegas shooter to obtain catastrophically high rates of fire. The cost of a legal arms weapon starts at a mere $100 with major online sporting goods retailers and the likes of Walmart were all sold out of guns within four days of the massacre. Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay said “Oh, no. It costs a lot more than your life. To murder innocent people?… “It costs everything you are.”
Jesus said – “ Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” Matthew 26:52-54
We live in a world where many people see themselves as being right in their own eyes and we have so many living life under various guises so that we have no idea who they really are.
Let us pray, for our friends, families, neighbours and ourselves, pray for God’s divine daily protection, leading and intervention. May we also remember to be thankful, as we go out and when we return.