Federation Stands with Las Vegas

We awoke this morning to the horrifying news of another mass shooting – this time in Las Vegas at a country music concert – that left at least 58 dead and more than 515 injured.  We, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington extend our heartfelt sympathy to the victims and their families.  In one despicable act, the lives of so many people were ended and the lives of so many others changed forever.

We strongly condemn the ongoing gun violence in our nation that is killing innocent people and ripping apart the fabric of our society.  In shooting after shooting, whether San Bernardino, Orlando, Charleston, Northern Virginia, and now Las Vegas, these acts of violence are destroying lives and communities and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.  As a country it is also incumbent upon us to not only condemn these acts but have an honest conversation regarding underlying factors and what we can collectively do to make this country a safer place for all.

We are thankful for the men and women of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue and the numerous other first responders who — potentially putting their own lives at risk — ran in to assist the victims.