Route 91 Harvest Festival Site Sold Five Years After Tragic Shooting
The Route 91 Harvest Festival site in Las Vegas, also known as “The Village,” has been sold. This area is
Jen Avison Smith
The Route 91 Harvest Festival site in Las Vegas, also known as “The Village,” has been sold. This area is also known as the site for the mass shooting, known as the “October 1 shooting” in 2017.
The Parties Involved in the Same of the Route 91 Harvest Festival Site
MGM Resorts International has sold the Village, which includes most of the site of the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival, to the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota, the company announced Friday.https://t.co/v3oJYGf19H
— Las Vegas Review-Journal (@reviewjournal) December 30, 2022
According to MGM president Bill Hornbuckle, maintaining the portion of land that was promised as memorial grounds is crucial.
“Having a permanent memorial is essential to our community’s healing, “ MGM president Bill Hornbuckle stated in a recent news break, “and we’ll continue working with and supporting the county as they move forward in the development and construction process.”
Fifteen acres of land make up the site. Two acres will be preserved for the memorial, while 13 were purchased by the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The tribe includes the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations, based out of central North Dakota. Nearly one million acres make up the home reservation, with over 17,000 members and 1,600 employees.
MGM Resorts International acted as the sellers for the site. The company plans to remain involved in the evolution of the land, located on Las Vegas Boulevard with Mandalay Bay Road and Reno Avenue as cross streets.
In a statement from the company, it was emphasized that, “in addition to donating land for the memorial, MGM will contribute to the building of the memorial financially, logistically and in other ways as well.”
For now, the plans for the lands are not set. Prior prospective tenants for the land were event centers, a new casino and other hospitality-centric structures. Families of victims and survivors have expressed discontent that the space is being used as overflow parking for Allegiant Stadium, believing that the effort to erect a memorial site was overdue.
MGM stated that the Three Affiliated Tribes will announce their intentions for the land’s use at a later time.
The October 1 Shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival Locale
The event is commemorated as one of the deadliest mass shootings in the United States. A former Mesquite, Nevada resident opened fire from a broken Las Vegas Strip hotel window, killing 60 people and injuring hundreds more.
According to an official police report, the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival had approximately 22,000 attendees. The three-day festival culminated on October 1, with Jason Aldean as a closing act.
The assassin spent weeks leading up to the event checking in and out of several Las Vegas hotels and Airbnbs. His Internet search activity and behaviors were investigated closely after the incident, as well as his weapons. A witness list totaling over 45 employees, law enforcement personnel and individuals close to the suspect were brought into question.
Remembering the Tragedy
The city of Las Vegas remembers this day with memorials and efforts. Get Outdoors Nevada has erected a garden, named the Las Vegas Community Healing Garden, with over 58 trees planted to honor the victims that perished on October 1. An official 1 October Memorial Committee was formed to begin planning a physical site for memorial grounds, with opportunities to participate and submit ideas available on their website.
In September 2022, a sunrise event was held in remembrance for the victims in downtown Las Vegas, where singer Sam Riddle performed his song “Vegas Strong.” To mark the five-year anniversary, President Joe Biden also made a formal statement recognizing the lives lost, and vowing to continue the efforts to eradicate gun violence casualties with further measures.
Resources have been gathered for survivors of the shooting, including scholarships, events and remembrance media. “11 MINUTES,” a Paramount+ docu series that includes first hand accounts of the event, interviews and footage, is a recent release.