Sisters who survived Las Vegas shooting say they won't get help from $11M fund due to proposed rules
STANTON, California -- New questions are unfolding over how donations for the many victims in the Las Vegas mass shooting will be distributed, and some victims said they could be left without any support.
The mass shooting happened on Oct. 1 during the Route 91 Harvest Festival. Gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on the crowd from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, killing 58 people and wounding nearly 500 others.
Two Stanton sisters said they relive the terror of that event every day. They also said under the proposed plan for the victims' fund, neither of them would receive any financial help.
"It's been horrible. I sleep three hours a night if I wake up in a complete panic like something's happening to me. I've had more shooting nightmares than I can count," Jasara Requejo said.
She's still recovering from the latest surgery to remove a bullet that was lodged in her arm. She and her sister, Kendra Hobbs, said their lives will never be the same after surviving the massacre.
"I ran for my life. I said goodbye to my family. I watched my sister bleed out. I watched our friend's face get blown off," Hobbs said.
They said they feel as if they're being victimized all over again as the Las Vegas Victims' Fund committee held emotional town hall meetings Tuesday night. They were hashing out the protocols on who would receive donations from the GoFundMe account, which has raised more than $11 million.
"I feel like I'm not even allowed to call myself a victim because they're saying only these victims get it, when we all are victims," Requejo said.
She was shot twice - once in the arm and side. She was treated quickly, spending only 10 hours in the hospital despite the overwhelming number of victims. Under the proposed protocol, her stay in the hospital is considered too short for her to receive any financial help.
Her sister will not receive any help either. Hobbs was not physically injured, but her mental and emotional scars run deep.
"PTSD is so real. I didn't want to be in that war zone. I didn't want to see what I saw," she said.
Neither sister has been able to return to work since the shooting. They said the committee has to find a way to help all of the shooting victims.
"We didn't ask for this. We went to a country concert. We were having a great time. We didn't ask for this. Our whole lives will never be the same," Requejo said.
There was no word on when the committee will finalize the rules for how to hand out the money. Victims of that shooting have until Jan. 31 to file a claim.
A separate GoFundMe account has been set up to help the sisters with all of their medical needs. If you would like to donate, you may do so by clicking here.
