For many concert-goers, Oct. 1 marked the final day of Route 91 Harvest, a three-day country music festival in Las Vegas.

But by Oct. 2, that day no longer represented the last day of a music festival; it has come to mark the day of a mass shooting that resulted in the loss of 59 human lives, including that of the shooter’s. Additionally, more than 525 were injured, making this attack the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

“I think this very deeply affected our country,” said Daniela Stepaniouk, sophomore. “Many loved ones, friends, and family members of people around the country were killed in this shooting… hopefully it will call attention to the fact that things really need to be done to protect this country and its people.”

An investigation revealed that the shooter was a 64-year-old retired man, Stephen Paddock, who had no criminal history and demonstrated no red-flag behavior to his family, friends and neighbors.

“There’s absolutely no way I could conceive that my brother would shoot a bunch of people that he didn’t know,” Eric Paddock, the brother of the shooter, stated in a public interview.

In the interview, Eric Paddock continues to tell reporters that as far as he was aware, Paddock did not have an apparent political or religious affiliation and that he was just a guy who still sent boxes of cookies to his mother.

The incident has left people wondering what drove Stephen Paddock to rain down a hail storm of bullets on the people below the window of his hotel suite at the Mandalay Bay, 32 levels above ground. The motive remains unknown.

“I think it scared a lot of people more than anything,” said Angela Bowes, sophomore. “The event was overall very disappointing because it shows that there are people in the world who want to do these things and have access to very serious weapons.”

According to law enforcement, Paddock purchased more than 30 guns within the 12 months prior to the shooting.

Investigations also revealed that Paddock had reserved two hotel rooms at the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago for the duration of the Lollapalooza music festival in August, but he never checked in.

“When I found out that the Vegas shooter had reserved a room overlooking Lolla, I was pretty wigged out,” said Terri Doby, senior, who attended the Chicago event. “I felt very uncomfortable because a massacre like the one in Las Vegas easily could have happened at Lollapalooza.”

What happened in Vegas has many rethinking their attendance at festivals like the Route 91 Harvest.

“Knowing that there are people in this world who are committing these attacks baffles me,” said Doby. “Music events are supposed to be times of enjoyment, not something that should be scary. I have not yet decided whether or not I want to attend because if it happened once, what’s keeping it from happening again?”

Many who were in attendance at the Route 91 festival, including performer Jake Owen, tweeted their thoughts hours after the attack.

Owen stated, “Praying for everyone here in Vegas. I witnessed the most unimaginable event tonight. We are okay. Others aren’t. Please pray.”

Along with Owen, other performers, including Chris Young, Aldean, Lee Brice, Dylan Scott, Luke Combs and Josh Abbott, posted on various social media platforms, telling fans how happy they were to be alive, to pray for others and that they would never forget what they had been a part of.

One message that moved many was posted on the Route 91 Harvest festival website: “While we try and move forward, we will never forget this day. We will NOT let hate win over LOVE. We will NOT be defeated by senseless violence. We WILL persevere, and honor the souls that were lost. Because it matters.”