The Las Vegas Healing Community Garden was built in memorial of the 58 victims.
Survivors of the Las Vegas massacre gathered in a newly erected community garden, one year after the horrific events unfolded.
The Las Vegas Community Healing Garden, located five miles off the main strip, began construction just days after the shooting at the Route 91 country music festival. It features a Remembrance Wall comprised of 58 trees lining a paved path, signifying the 58 lives that were lost during the massacre.
“A lot of us came, knowing that we were going to be here together to be able to support each other through it,” survivor Irene Ramirez told KCBS.
The painful day also marked Ramirez’s anniversary with her significant other Jim Elkins. The couple had attended the music festival as one of their first dates.
“We kissed and I asked her if she wanted to go to a country music concert,” Elkins recalled.
The romantic first date soured quickly as they heard shots fired.
“We witnessed a lot of people that didn’t make it,” Ramirez recalled.
Elkins added, “So we ran down the grand stand and crawled underneath the platform.”
Survivor Daniel Rosales said he still hears the gun shots to this day.
“I just get lonely at home, hearing the noises,” he said. “They were getting to me, you know?"
During the construction of the garden, Rosales helped lay red tile into the wall, where the initials of victims and survivors are ingrained.
“It’s really touching to see everybody,” he said. “We’re all family.”
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