It’s been nearly a week since hundreds of people lost their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, sisters, husbands, wives and friends.
It’s been nearly a week since hundreds of people lost their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, sisters, husbands, wives and friends.
But it’s only the beginning of grief for the families and friends mourning the lives of the 58 Americans and Canadians who died when a gunman opened fire at a Las Vegas country concert Sunday night. The victims were country music enthusiasts, loving parents, friends who always knew how to turn someone’s day around. Their loved ones are honoring their memories through interviews, social media posts, and more.
A tough, devoted single mother of three
Candice Bowers of Garden Grove, California, was a tough-minded single mother of three with a loud, infectious laugh. Her family said she worked as a waitress and was spending some much-needed time off at the concert. The huge Jason Aldean fan was very excited to be there.
She was also celebrating a personal milestone: Bowers had just finished a yearslong process to adopt a 2-year-old daughter.
“That was just done, and it was a big accomplishment to get through the adoption process,” said Michelle Bolks, Bowers’ aunt.
Bowers also had a 20-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son.
College remembers honor student
Known for her warmth and adventuresome spirit, Jordyn Rivera was in her fourth year at California State University, San Bernardino, where she made an impression on everyone from students to the president.
University President Tomas Morales said he got to know Rivera last summer in London during a summertime program for study abroad.
“As one of her faculty members noted, we will remember and treasure her for her warmth, optimism, energy, and kindness,” he wrote in a message to faculty and staff.
A native of the Los Angeles suburb of La Verne, Rivera, 21, was studying health care management. Fellow members of an honor society are now raising money to pay her funeral expenses.
‘Our firecracker is gone’
The first time Alexis Magana drove over to her friend Brandon Mestas’ house, she asked how to find it.
“Oh, you’ll know,” he told her. “It’s the one blasting country.”
It was Brandon’s mom, Pati Mestas, who was the household’s country music fanatic. Pati Mestas, 67, of California, died in Las Vegas while listening to that favorite music. Magana remembered her as someone who was “fearless and bold” and always welcoming, from that first day they met.
“She really was a firecracker,” Magana wrote to The Associated Press in a Facebook message. “I just never dreamed she’d be taken from us in an instant. Our firecracker is gone and now it’s just dark.”
Brandon Mestas, 33, wrote on his Facebook page that his mother surely enjoyed herself in her final moments.
“She left this world surrounded by friends, singing and dancing with thousands of people. If I had to write the script myself, I could not have done a better job,” he wrote.
Seattle woman loved country music
Carrie Parsons was a huge fan of country singer Eric Church.
“Night made!” she posted Saturday on Facebook after seeing the singer at the Las Vegas country festival.
Parsons, of Seattle, was one of the people who died when shots rang out at the Jason Aldean performance on Sunday night.
“I feel peace knowing she was living life until her last moments,” her friend Carolyn Farmer wrote in a social media post sharing Parson’s comments about the Church show.
Parsons was a staffing manager at the recruiting company Ajilon in Seattle, according to her LinkedIn page.
Friends died together at concert
Austin Davis, 29, “had this unbelievable super power of making everyone he knew and loved feel like he’d catch a speeding bullet out of the air for them,” friend Katelyn Hood told The Associated Press in a Facebook message.
Davis was the only child of his parents, Lori and Gary Davis. The family was so close that Davis built his house on their property in Riverside, California, so he would never be far away.
“He was their protector,” said Hood, who named Davis as her son’s godfather.
Davis also left behind his girlfriend of nine years, whom he met in high school. He was at the concert with a family friend, Thomas Day Jr., who also died.
He worked as a pipe fitter, loved watching his friends’ dogs and always made sure his friends’ had smiles on their faces.
“Austin was Austin and no one could change him,” Hood said. “He stood firm on his beliefs because he knew he was raised right.”