Brad and I live just a few blocks from the scene of the terrible mass shooting that took place last weekend in Las Vegas. However, it just so happened that during this time we were gone on one of our occasional out-of-town trips, to Harrah’s Lake Tahoe.
Of course we heard about the awful events very soon since my phone woke us up in the middle of Sunday night with a flood of pinging messages asking if we were okay. We turned on the TV and followed the news closely until we returned home Tuesday.
We were shocked when we heard the details that the shooter was an avid video poker player, one who played in a similar way we do, figuring the math odds to choose good machine schedules, taking advantage of bonus benefits, and utilizing the comp system. It made the whole thing even more personal for us when we learned that he was a CZR’s player who had attained the highest players-club level of 7 Star. We were staying at Harrah’s Tahoe as a free fully comped trip because we both also were 7 Stars!
Right now there seems to be no evidence that the shooter’s deadly motivation was connected to his choice of gambling as an activity he avidly pursued, i.e., that he was losing or going broke and that triggered violent action. Although he used a casino as his crime base, he targeted not casino employees but a wholly different group of people, country music fans. And this added more to the confounding unknown motivation since his family said that he had always liked country music. This incident reinforces the fact that people of all different types and from varied circumstances can commit violent crime, whether there is one victim or many: no matter what job or hobby or interests they have, whether they are rich or poor, no matter what ethnicity or religion or political beliefs, whether they suffer from a known or obvious mental problem or seem perfectly “normal.” And sometimes there is just no answer to “Why?”
Some people are asking Brad and me if we knew the shooter because they know that we might have played in the same casinos or participated in some of the same activities he did. We haven’t played on the Vegas Strip for the last couple of years, sticking mostly to the off-Strip casinos that attract mostly locals. But for many years we did play in the Strip high-limit areas, at the higher denominations that generated invitations to big-money tournament and drawings. We don’t know how long he had been gambling at the high level and at which casinos and whether our paths might have crossed. But we do not remember ever seeing him.
We feel the same sadness that permeates our whole city, but we rejoice in the positive surge within the community to pull together and try to make something positive come out of this terrible tragedy. Our country is so divided these days; it is so inspiring to hear stories how people were so quick to help others, during and after the bloodbath – police and civilians, white and people of color. No one asked someone in need if they were liberals or conservatives, Democrats or Republicans. Why does it take a disaster to unite as fellow human beings?
As an avid visitor to Vegas I have also expressed concerns about terrorist activities happening in the Sin City as these events seem to target large crowds of people which are plentiful everywhere in Vegas. Whether in a crowded casino, bar, show, or concert you can be a target to an evil act if one is to occur, but we come to Vegas to escape our everyday stress and shouldn’t have to worry about something like this until now. I know the security level will be now on “High Alert” throughout the city and in the future to prevent any such event from happening again. I will be heading to Vegas in the next few weeks so I will be extra cautious when I return. The aftermath of this event has shaken the community but Vegas is “Strong” and will bounce back! God bless all that were affected and we will never forget all those that lost their lives on that faithful day. Vegas Strong Baby!
Richard Long: There are dozens of Caesars casinos not located in Las Vegas. Jean and Brad were at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe when the tragedy happened and they travel frequently to those other casinos around the country.
You say that you have not played at the strip casinos for the last two years. How are you a 7 Stars member when all of the Caesar’s/Harrah’s properties are on the strip?
Glad to know You were safe. Upon hearing of the shooters VP proclivities it hit us close to home as well. We have gambled off strip for years. One very good reason is that the strip is a target rich environment for terrorists and crazies. We go to the strip for shows but don’t hang out there. Besides the video poker is better in locals casinos.
I remember after 9/11 seeing pictures recovered from terrorists of strip properties. That made an impression on us. In the past few days the Las Vegas police chief spoke of their anticipation and training for this type of event. Even more reason to be careful. It was inevitable.