Las Vegas shooting – Heroic husband, 29, killed saving wife’s life revealed as first victim of massacre that left 59 dead and more than 500 injured
A HERO male nurse who protected his wife from the Las Vegas shooter has been named among at least 59 people killed in the worst massacre in modern US history.
But as police race to figure out gunman Stephen Paddock's motive, the families of the dozens of victims have been left to grapple with the horror.
Sonny Melton, 29
Sonny Melton, 29, gave his life when he grabbed wife Heather by the hand and dragged her from the hail of bullets before being shot.
Grieving Heather held her husband as he lay dying on Route 91, telling WSMV: "He saved my life. He grabbed me and started running when I felt him get shot in the back.
"I want everyone to know what a kind-hearted, loving man he was, but at this point, I can barely breathe."
In a Facebook post she said she had lost her “true love and knight in shining armour”, who had travelled from Big Sandy, Tennessee to make the gig.
She wrote: "At this point, I’m in complete disbelief and despair.
“Sonny was the most kind-hearted, loving man I have ever met. He saved my life and lost his.”
Jordan McIldoon, 23
Jordan McIldoon, 23, was identified as a victim on social media by a stranger who desperately tried to help him as he died in her arms.
The mechanic, from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, was at the festival with his girlfriend Amber Bereza, his parents told Canadian broadcaster CBC.
A tribute from Heather Gooze, of Spring Valley, Nevada, read: "I am with a young man who died in my arms! RIP Jordan McIldoon from British Columbia. I can't believe this just happened!!!"
Quinton Robbins, 20
Quinton Robbins, 20, of Henderson, Nevada was named as a victim by his aunt Kilee Wells Sanders.
Describing the University of Nevada student as "the most kind and loving soul", she said: "Everyone who met him, loved him. His contagious laugh and smile. He was truly an amazing person. He will be missed by so many, he is loved by so many."
"Quinton was a pay-it-forward kinda guy", Pal Tyce Jones told Newsweek.
"Always had a smile on his face and was a nice guy. He loved his family and loved to coach his little brother's flag football team. He will be missed."
Denise Salmon Burditus, 50
Denise Salmon Burditus died in the arms of her husband Tony, according to heartbroken friends.
Just minutes before the shooting began she posted a photo on social media of themselves at the festival.
Her heartbroken friend Denise Chambers paid tribute online, writing: "In my heart forever and always. Prayers for Tony and the family".
Lisa Romero
School secretary Lisa Romero was named by grieving colleagues Miyamura High School in Gallup, New Mexico.
Her cousin told The Huffington Post that she was a "happy-go-lucky person".
Shooter Stephen Craig Paddock — who president Trump described as "pure evil" — unleashed a hail of bullets on the 20,000-strong crowd from his 32nd-floor room at the resort with an arsenal of at least 19 guns.
The 64-year-old retired accountant's relentless killing spree continued until he shot himself moments before a SWAT team blew open the door and stormed his sniper's nest.
Las Vegas police warned that identifying bodies will be a "long, laborious process" as investigators are continued their collection of evidence and worked to reunite people with relatives who were at the shooting site.
Authorities have set up hotlines and centres to help people track down relatives and a convention centre will likely be used for police operations.
Adrian Murfitt, 35
Alaskan Adrian Murfitt, from Anchorage, was described by friend Brian MacKinnon as "one of the happiest people" he knew, KTUU reported.
Jessica Klymchuk, 28
Jessica Klymchuk, 28, from Canada, worked as a bus driver and a librarian at St. Stephen's School in Valleyview, Alberta.
Rachel Notley, premier of Alberta, wrote on Twitter: "Our hearts go out to the loved ones of Jessica Klymchuk, an Albertan who was killed in the Las Vegas attack.
"We are so sorry for your loss."
Charleston Hartfield, 34
Police officer Charleston Hartfield was off duty attending the gig when he was shot dead.
The youth football coach and military veteran was revealed as being among the victims when pal Troy Rhett tried to contact him to make sure he was safe.
"I figured he was probably busy helping others. I don’t know a better man than Charles. They say it’s always the good ones we lose early", he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Jenny Parks
Jenny Parks had attended Sunday's Route 91 Harvest music festival with her husband and childhood sweetheart Bobby.
The mum of two, who was in her 30s, was remembered as "absolutely beautiful and very intelligent", with her family left struggling to come to terms with their "major loss".
Angie Gomez
Angie Gomez had only recently graduated from the Riverside Polytechnic High School PTSA in Riverside, California.
The organisation said they were "heartbroken" by the loss, saying: "She will always be loved and endeared by our Poly Family."
Bailey Schweitzer, 20
Bailey Schweitzer was a cheerleader who loved country music, Bakersfield News reported.
The young woman, who worked as a receptionist had travelled to Las Vegas for the concert, having spoken of her excitement to see Luke Combs play.
But the night turned to tragedy when the young woman was killed in the massacre, with friends paying tribute to her, saying: "She was everything to us".
Susan Smith, 53
Office manager Susan Smith, 53, worked at Vista Elementary School in California - where spokesman Jake Finch told the Ventura County Star: "She was wonderful. She had a great sense of humor. She's patient and kind".
John Phippen
John Phippen, of Santa Clarita, California, was shot dead beside his wounded medic son — who was able to tend to 14 injured victims but was tragically unable to save his "amazing" dad, KHTS reported.
In a fundraising page, friends remembered John as a man who had a "heart that was larger than life and a personality to match."
Dana Gardner, 52
Dana Gardner, 52, was killed in the mass shooting, with friends remembering her as a "go-to" person.
County Clerk Bob Dutton, who worked with the 52-year-old, told SBS Sun: "Everybody here is still in shock. They’re waiting for (Gardner) to walk through the door."
Rhonda LeRocque
Rhonda LeRocque, from Tewksbury, Mass., was shot dead after her father-in-law took her six-year-old daughter home from the concert and she stayed on with minister husband Jason.
Her devastated family told Boston 25 News: "close to perfection as you can get".
Sandy Casey, 35
Sandy Casey was a special education teacher from southern California.
She was engaged to be married, and had been attending the festival with her fiance.
Carrie Barnette, 34
Carrie Barnette worked at Disney California Adventure, with friends and family devastated by her loss.
Disney CEO Robert Iger shared a tribute to her, writing: "A senseless, horrific, act, and a terrible loss for so many. We mourn a wonderful member of the Disney family: Carrie Barnette. Tragic."
Chris Roybal, 28
Chris Roybal was a Navy veteran, having served in the Afghanistan War.
The 28-year-old man had been with his mother, who survived the shooting.
Tom Day, 54
Thomas Allen Day Jr died in the shooting on Sunday night, having attended the concert with his four children.
His father Thomas Day Sr said: "He was the best dad. That’s why the kids were with him."
Hannah Ahlers, 34
Hannah Ahlers, 34, had three children, aged three, 11 and 14.
The mother was shot in the head at the music festival.
Her family described her as a devoted mum, telling the Review Journal: "She could have lit the world up with her smile."
Neysa Tonks, 45
Neysa Tonks, 45, was a mother of three, with friends saying she had brought "joy, happiness, fun and laughter" to them.
The brother of Neysa said he was proud to be her brother, telling KUTV: "How happy and lucky I feel that she was part of my life."
Jennifer Irvine, 42
Jennifer Irvine, 42, had been singing and dancing with friends during the concert when she was fatally shot.
The San Diego attorney's friends said she was a smart, friendly and bubbly woman, with one friend telling the San Diego Union-Tribune: "She was like a little sister."
Rachael Parker, 33
Rachael Parker, 33, worked as a records technician for Manhattan Beach police.
The woman was one of four Manhattan Beach police employees who were off-duty and attending the concert.
The department said she would be "greatly missed".
Jack Beaton
Jack Beaton had travelled to the festival to celebrate his 23rd wedding anniversary.
But the night turned to tragedy when the shooting started, with the dad reportedly jumping in front of his wife Laurie to save her from the hail of bullets.
Jack's father-in-law Jerry Cook told Bakersfield Now: "He put Laurie on the ground and covered her with his body and he got shot I don't know how many times.
"She knew he was dying. He told her he loved her. Laurie could tell he was slipping. She told him she loved him and she would see him in heaven."
His son wrote a tribute on Twitter, saying his dad was a "true hero".
Kurt Von Tillow, 55
Kurt Von Tillow was shot dead while at the festival on Sunday night.
The 55-year-old, from California, was with his wife at the time of the shooting, with family and friends already holding a vigil in his memory.
The family led a procession of golf carts from his local Country Club to his home.
The names and faces of those killed in the horrific massacre comes as police desperately try to figure out what motivated gunman Stephen Paddock to unleash hundreds of bullets onto the innocent crowd.
Killer Paddock was a millionaire retired accountant who flew small planes and had no criminal record, authorities said.
Horrifying video from Sunday night's attack showed blood-soaked concert-goers running in terror from the Route 91 country music festival after hundreds of rounds were fired from a nearby Mandalay Bay Resort Casino balcony.
Pictures emerged showed two smashed in windows at the luxury resort from where Paddock fired off a hail of deadly gunfire.
Over a period of more than a minute at least four separate bursts of sustained gunfire from a high-powered assault rifle were heard as hundreds of deadly rounds were unleashed into the crowd, which included children.
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May said she was not aware of any British casualties, saying: "At the moment, I don't believe there were any British casualties, but there were certainly British people in the area who will have witnessed what was absolutely an appalling attack, completely senseless, random attack, by an individual who I understand had quite an arsenal of weapons in the hotel room."
The death toll in the devastating attack, which began to unfold just after 10pm on Sunday night local time, surpasses the Orlando shooting at the Pulse nightclub last year, which saw 49 people killed.
What we know so far:
- At least 59 people are dead and more than 527 are injured, making the attack the worst in US history
- The shooter has been named by police as Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, who was firing from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort Casino, and who was found dead
- Police now believe they have found Marilou Danley, 62, a woman believed to have been the roommate of Paddock
- 22,000 people had been attending the Route 91 country music festival, listening to Jason Aldean perform when the shots rang out just after 10pm on Sunday
- US President Trump has slammed the attack as "pure evil", urging Americans to come together in solidarity
- Flights have been delayed with terrified crowds having run for cover to the McCarran International Airport
- Among the dead include a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer who was off duty. Two on-duty officers were also injured
