President Donald Trump visited Las Vegas on Wednesday to provide support for law enforcement first responders, the medical trauma team, and survivors of the deadly attack. The visit comes after the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, which killed at least 58 people attending a country music festival near the Mandalay Bay Hotel, where the shooter was said to have shot from the 32nd floor.
Thomas Gunderson, a 28-year-old survivor of the shooting, received a personal visit in the hospital with his family from Trump and the First Lady. Gunderson assisted people in escaping the gunfire and bringing them to safety.
“After being shot he began worrying that he may bleed out, but two young women rushed to his side. One tied a belt around his leg to stop the bleeding and others rallied a group of men to carry him to safety,” Sanders stated.
He currently suffers from a torn muscle in his calf and continues to recover in the hospital. Despite his wound, Gunderson endured the pain and stood up to greet the President and First Lady as they walked into his room. The hero showed respect to the man who leads his country.
Later on, Gunderson posted a video on Facebook while stating, “I will never lie down when the President of this great country comes to shake my hand!”
Along with Gunderson, many individuals that were present near the event risked their lives to assist others in escaping.
“There are bad people in this world, but tonight, I saw every race and gender come together to save lives and protect each other,” Gunderson said after the shooting took place.
In response to the mass shooting, House Republicans are planning on leading a bill to ban the sale of bump stocks, a device used by the Las Vegas shooter to convert semi-automatic weapons into full-auto fire weapons. The bill is set to be introduced on Thursday by Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL). The National Rifle Association (NRA) has released a statement in support for additional regulations on bump stocks.
When asked whether or not the President would support legislation to ban or regulate bump stocks, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, “Right now our focus, as we’ve said over the last couple of days, has been on healing and uniting the country. We know that members of both parties and multiple organizations are planning to take a look at bump stock related devices. We’re open to that moving forward but we want to be part of that conversation as it takes place.”
