A California special education teacher was among those killed during a mass shooting at the Route 91 country music festival Sunday night, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District reports. Sandra Casey was a special education teacher at Manhattan Beach Middle School for nine years, according to a statement from the school district. Other employees of the middle school and school district attended the music festival but were not injured.
Just six weeks ago, Rocio Guillen Rocha gave birth to her fourth child — a baby boy named Austin. Guillen Rocha was still on maternity leave from her job as an assistant manager at a California Pizza Kitchen. Although she escaped the scene with fiancé, Chris Jaksha, Guillen Rocha later died from a gunshot wound suffered in the attack. The 40-year-old from Corona, California, had four children: 18-year-old Marcus, 13-year-old Christopher, 1-year-old Sofia and 1-month-old Austin. Guillen Rocha was raised in Anaheim and attended Katella High School, where she ran track and cross country.
Nicol Kimura and her close group of friends from Southern California had been looking forward to the Route 91 country music festival since buying their tickets nearly a year ago. The long-anticipated Las Vegas show ended in tragedy, when 38-year-old Kimura, known for her “larger than life” smile, laugh and spirit, became one of 58 victims gunned down at the show, her friend Ryan Miller told the Review-Journal Wednesday. “There were seven of us that went up together, and unfortunately, only six of us came home,” Miller said. Kimura, from Placentia, California, is survived by her parents and a sister. She worked for Orange County, Miller said. Miller set up a GoFundMe to raise money to help pay to transport Kimura’s body home, and for memorial services. The fundraiser was nearing $36,000 around 5 p.m. Wednesday. No services have been scheduled.
A Seattle resident is among those fatally wounded in the attack on the Route 91 Harvest Festival Sunday, the Washington Post has reported. Carrie Parsons graduated from Arizona State University in 2008, according to a Facebook post from the college’s alumni association Seattle chapter. She was a Washington native.
A Northern California truck company owner is among those killed in the attack on the Route 91 Harvest country festival. Friends and family of Kurt Von Tillow gathered near his Cameron Park County Club golf course home on Tuesday to mourn the loss. Von Tillow owned a trucking company, which neighbors said he would sometimes take routes out across the country to Connecticut to see his family. “I never, ever, ever saw him in a bad mood,” Brent Hutchings, a neighbor, told the Sacramento Bee. “Everyone loved him. He was the life of the party and he laughed at everything with this really distinctive boisterous laugh.”
Pati Mestas, 67, of Menifee, California, was killed as she stood near the Route 91 Harvest country music festival stage, doing one of her favorite things. “Pati loved country (music) concerts,” said Isa Bahu, a close friend of more than 10 years. “Brooks and Dunn one of the first (concerts) we went to, and it was one of the best concerts that we went to.”
In addition to going to country music concerts, Mestas loved spending time with her grandchildren. “She lived for those kids,” Bahu said. “She went too soon.”
Brett Schwanbeck, 61, was fatally shot Sunday in the attack on the Route 91 Harvest Festival. Brett Schwanbeck was no stranger to the great outdoors. As a father he took his two sons on countless expeditions to camp, hunt, fish and ride dirt bikes. “He liked to be where no one else was at. He liked to get lost out in the middle of the woods,” his youngest son Shawn Schwanbeck told the Review-Journal Wednesday. “My dad was the funnest guy in the world to be around.”
Keri Galvan was enjoying the Route 91 Harvest Festival with her husband and their friends when she was cut down by gunfire. The 31-year-old from Thousand Oaks, California, left behind three children. Galvan’s sister and Las Vegas resident Lindsey Poole, described her as a devoted wife and mother. “Her days started and ended with doing everything in her power to be a wonderful mother,” Poole said in a post.
An Aliso Viejo, California, resident is among those killed in the attack on Route 91 Harvest country music festival. Victor Link, a 55-year-old originally from Shafter, California, was “the best dad any son could ever have,” Christian Link, who identified himself as Link’s son. Link was attending the festival with his fiance, Lynne Gonzales, and longtime friends, Rob and Lesley Wedlock, when he was shot and killed during the Jason Aldean concert on Sunday. “Victor was a loving fiance, proud father, loyal son, protective brother, supportive uncle and kind friend. We wish to express our gratitude to all that have helped contribute to Victor’s extraordinary life. Whether you were a relative, friend, or neighbor, you we’re all a part of making his life so meaningful,” a statement released by Link’s family said.
