John–
Gun violence leaves lasting wounds—even if you are physically unscathed.
In October 2017, I was in my hotel room at a Las Vegas music festival when two doors down, a gunman opened fire on the crowd below. He shot and killed 58 people, and wounded more than 850 others.
I was supposed to be down there, at the festival with everyone else. I had worked in the music industry for more than 20 years. But that day, I wasn't feeling well, and decided to rest in my room instead.
Even so, I became a survivor. The room was shaking. The gun fire was incredibly loud. I completely reconciled my life and thought, "Am I ready to die?"
Because of that experience, I developed PTSD that turned my life upside down. I could no longer work festivals. At concerts, I fixated on emergency exits. I turned to spending and found myself deep in debt. My personality changed, and I became very short tempered and judgmental.
I lived in fear—and eventually had to give up my career in the music industry and let go of my dreams.
I am far from alone in experiencing these devastating effects of the gun violence crisis. In every corner of the country, in every community, survivors are grappling with the aftermath of shootings that impact every aspect of our lives.
We are not alone—and together, we're finding a way forward.
Read this new story from The Associated Press to hear how I and several other survivors of mass shootings have been impacted by this crisis, and how we're building community from our shared grief.
In the years since that awful day, I've realized that the trauma doesn't go away. Even if you're not wounded in the moment, there is injury that lasts.
Yet I have also realized that there is hope.
I am now a senior fellow with the Everytown Survivor Network, a nationwide community of survivors working together to end gun violence. In this role, I help mentor other survivors—whether they experienced other mass shootings, gun suicide, unintentional shootings, or the daily gun violence that kills more than 120 people and wounds hundreds more every single day.
We have each lived through life-altering trauma that has left us feeling isolated, despairing, grieving, and fearful. Through the Survivor Network, we're able to connect to each other, amplify our power, and support one another as we work to end gun violence.
I continue to live with the effects of surviving the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. I always will. But I know that creating a future free from gun violence starts and ends with the voices of survivors.
Thank you for being a part of this movement, and for supporting survivors like me.
Tia Christiansen
She/Her/Hers
Senior Fellow
Everytown Survivor Network
P.S. Learn more about the Everytown Survivor Network and join us today.
