Route 91 Country Music Festival Shooting

Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting site, Las Vegas Village and Festival Grounds, Las Vegas Strip, Nevada

In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States, the investigation into the October 1, 2017 Route 91 Harvest music festival tragedy has yet to bring closure to the tens of thousands of victims who are still grieving the effects of that night.  The victims of this shooting were from all over the country, with many of the concertgoers coming from California and Nevada.  Over 22,000 people were subjected to more than 1,000 rounds of bullets and ensuing chaos that surrounded this event.  Simply because the investigation is ongoing does not mean justice cannot be found for the victims and their families.

Many of the victims put their lives and safety into the hands of multiple companies while attending the Route 91 Harvest concert, including MGM Resorts International, Mandalay Bay Corp., MGM Resort Group, Inc., MGM Resorts Festival Grounds, LLC, Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., and Live Nation Group.  In the months since the shooting, the following facts have been released that show the fault of these companies:

• The hotel permitted the shooter to check into a hotel room that was under another person’s name without the named person appearing at the hotel;
• The hotel failed to recognize that the door to the stairwell at the 32^nd floor was locked with a bracket by the shooter;
• Security at the hotel delayed their investigation into a door alarm on the 32^nd floor that went off more than an hour before the shooting, which would have uncovered the bracketed door to the stairwell;
• A security failure at the hotel permitted the shooter to bring in high-powered assault rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition into his room, at times with the help of the hotel staff, when other hotels in Las Vegas have invested in security features before October 1, 2017 to detect such items;
• The hotel failed to discover the barrage of weapons in the hotel room or report the suspicious behavior of the shooter when he asked to remain in the room while the staff cleaned and instructed them not to vacuum the floor on multiple days before the shooting;
• The shooter installed surveillance equipment outside of his hotel rooms without detection by requesting a room service cart remain in his room, which was later used outside his door to mount a camera;
• Due to his “VIP” status, the shooter was permitted to use the service elevator to bring his deadly arsenal to his room instead of normal lobby elevators;
• The lack of the timely response and misinformation by the hotel lead to a delay in reaching the shooter’s room;
• Inadequately trained or competent staff both in the hotel and at the concert venue to respond to the shooting and provide safety instructions to the victims; and
• Insufficient signage demarcating exits and entrances at the concert grounds.

For years and in the wake of other mass casualty events, government entities and the casino industry have warned large hotels and casinos, including MGM Resorts International and Mandalay Bay, that they must be prepared for life-threatening events, including an active shooter.  The way for victims to claim compensation for their injuries is to prove that the events were foreseeable to these companies, and unfortunately in today, acts such as this shooting are not uncommon, especially near large crowds.  With this evidence, we believe that these companies may be responsible for the injuries to the Route 91 Harvest victims.

Not just direct shooting victims may be entitled to recover for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and other compensation for injuries suffered at the Route 91 Harvest concert.  Other victims include those who suffered injuries while escaping the festival grounds, such as trampling injuries, ankle sprains, or broken bones.  In addition, those suffering from post-traumatic stress or emotional distress may also be entitled to bring a claim against these companies.  Nevada law allows victims with injuries of emotional distress without physical injury to bring lawsuits under certain circumstances.

The actions of these companies placed profits above safety, leaving many lives in the wake of this shooting to be searching for answers, comfort, and justice.  If you or a family member were injured at the Route 91 Harvest festival and have questions about what we are doing to help victims or whether you may have a legal claim, please contact DiMarco, Araujo & Montevideo to speak to our team to get answers to your questions.