Even in the "endless night" following the 1 October shooting, there were signs of hope and what would later be coined "Vegas Strong."
RELATED: Snippets of 1 October statements, reports
Many people fled to McCarran International Airport after the shooting. According to officerstatements released Wednesday, a Las Vegas police sergeant asked UNLV Police if Thomas & Mack could be used "as a safe haven for persons seeking refuge." UNLV police rapidly made arrangements and lights were turned on, bathrooms unlocked and escalators activated.
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Knowing that the Thomas & Mack was going to be inundated with people trying to find a safe space, the sergeant called for help from Clark County School District Police and Clark County Park Police, in addition to Las Vegas police officers.
"The assistance of these three police departments would prove invaluable -- we could not have maintained order and security for what would be, by my estimate, approximately 2,000 people who had just experienced the worst night of their lives," the sergeant wrote in his report.
Around 4 a.m. Oct. 2, a woman in Nissan pulled into the parking lot. She exited the driver's side and handed the sergeant two blankets she had just purchased from Walmart having seen news reports that people were cold.
"Judging by her manner of dress coupled with the ill repair of her vehicle I was able to surmise that she had just spent her last couple of dollars buying two blankets," the sergeant wrote. "Here was an individual with nothing to spare sparing everything she had. After an endless night, it reminded me there is still more good than bad in this world."
He recognized the community in that moment and said, "I felt a connection."
#UPDATE Police officer describes woman who arrived at scene of mass shooting in her "crappy" vehicle with 2 blankets for victims. Says it reminded him that there is more good in the world than bad. https://t.co/kEqnVA6iIa pic.twitter.com/xVDop7ADcj
— KTNV Action News (@KTNV) May 23, 2018
Another woman also went to help officers after the shooting but her approach was questioned by officers.
A group of police officers were at the Stratosphere hotel-casino. A woman in a black VW Jetta pulled into the valet area and threw a box wrapped in a bag in front of an officer.
She then began to drive away.
One of the officers ran towards the car and pointed his rifle at the woman, causing her to stop. They ordered the woman, who had a smile on her face, out of her car. A K9 was called in to examine the box. The contents were determined to be a box of doughnuts.
The woman stated that she felt bad about the incident and just wanted to do something nice for the officers. The police officer who wrote about the incident said he thanked her for her kind gesture and told her not to do that to any more units because she could have been shot.
The reporting officer praised his fellow officers in the statement for showing restraint.
"They used sound tactics and verbal commands to de-escalate what could have resulted in a catastrophic use of force on a citizen who chose the wrong time and place to do something kind for us."
#UPDATE Rather odd. Description of incident involving woman who tried to do something nice for police officers on the night of #1October https://t.co/kEqnVA6iIa pic.twitter.com/TYSye2Aimk
— KTNV Action News (@KTNV) May 23, 2018
