Four Canadians are among the 59 people who were killed when a gunman opened fire on an outdoor music festival on the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday.
Tara Roe, 34, of Okotoks, became separated from her husband during the incident and was killed in the mass shooting.
Her mother-in-law, Angie Myers, told CTV News that Roe was a dynamic, outgoing and beautiful person whose strongest quality was that she was an amazing mother to her children.
Myers says that Calgary police were instrumental in helping the family to locate Roe following the shooting.
The mother of two, worked with autistic children in Calgary and also modelled part time.
Sophia Models issued a statement on Tuesday saying…
Sophia Models would like to send out our condolences to Tara Roe's family and friends. She worked as a model for our agency and we have known her for over 10 yrs. She was always a friendly face and had a very caring spirit. We are very saddened, shocked and pray for everyone affected by this tragedy.
Roe grew up in Brandon, Manitoba and friends and former coworkers say they are saddened by her death.
Skylar Lee says Roe was a joy to be around and was kind and loving and that she was always there to help out.
John Bailey, superintendent of schools with the Foothills School Division, says Roe worked as an educational assistant in Okotoks. Bailey says supports are being put in place to help staff cope with Roe’s death.
"It has been a challenging time for our division yet we continue to stand together and support one another. We have put our crisis response team in place and they will remain as long as is needed to assist students and staff."
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help Tara Roe’s family with expenses.
The identity of the third victim, 28-year-old Calla Medig, was confirmed on Tuesday morning.
The young woman was originally from Jasper but moved to Edmonton three years ago with a friend.
The Jasper Royal Canadian Legion has lowered its flag in memory of Medig, calling her a ‘young, beautiful lady’.
Two other Canadians were killed in the attack that killed 59 people and wounded over 500 others.
Jessica Klymchuk, a mother of four from Valleyview, was attending the concert with her fiancé.
A donation page has been created to help support Klymchuk's family and pay for medical bills in the United States.
Jordan McIldoon, a mechanic from Maple Ridge, B.C., was also killed and would have celebrated his 24th birthday later this week.
Six other Canadians were hurt in the attack, including Calgarian Steve Arruda, who had to undergo surgery to remove bullet fragments from his leg.
An unidentified Airdrie woman was also shot twice and is recovering in a Las Vegas hospital.
People returning to Calgary from Las Vegas described a night of panic and horror following the shooting.
“Shocking,” said Peter Hribar. “It’s a bit of a mayhem thing because to hear that many shots, you know. This isn’t one off, so we were lucky but I feel for all the people who were down there.”
“You know, it was just really, really scary. I always tend to be an optimist I thought it’s not my time, but because we didn’t know, we didn’t have the right information,” said Cheryl Hamelin. “I was just thinking about my kids and my family and I was just so scared.”
Calgarian Robyn-Lee Wolchyn, was working at the festival and hid behind some barriers when the shooting started.
“I heard someone say help someone’s hurt. People started screaming, there’s a gun. You think you’re hearing fireworks when you keep hearing that sound. People asking for help, you realize it’s not fireworks,” said Wolchyn.
Canadian Affairs is working to confirm if any other Canadians were involved in the shooting.
The gunman, identified as Stephen Craig Paddock, a 64-year-old retired accountant from Mesquite, Nevada, killed himself before officers stormed his room.
Las Vegas police have not released a motive for the attack.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has encouraged friends and relatives of Canadian citizens known to be in the area to contact the Global Affairs Emergency Watch and Response Centre at 1-800-387-3124 or email sos@international.gc.ca.
(With files from Kamil Karamali, CTV Edmonton, CTVNews.ca)
