In Las Vegas, as of 12:34 p.m. on Monday, October 2, 2017, there are 58 people dead and 515 people injured.

It is the deadliest mass shooting in American history. The targeted crowd was a group of concertgoers, simply enjoying their evening of music and friendship. The gunman was armed with at least ten rifles and fired them from the 32^nd Floor of Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

As I read this news earlier today, I felt many emotions and I feel I share those emotions with a majority of American citizens right now.

We are heartsick.

We are disgusted.

But, we are not surprised. This is America’s new normal.

The time where I will spend my college years, the time where families will wonder how they can raise children in such a sick and broken world, and a time where we wake up and live every day in risk.

No words that I say can fill the void of those who have lost their loved ones or fill the memory of those who have lost their lives. But I will say that what we are doing now is not working. In regards to gun legislation, how we treat each other, or how we allow such tragedy to happen without thinking it could be us. We need to do better.

I, along with many others, will send up thoughts and prayers throughout the day. I, along with many others, will watch the news this evening in hopes that the death toll has not risen since we last checked. And I, along with many others, will do whatever I can to be the opposite of those hateful actions that took place last night.

God Bless America.

We need it.