Mourners remembered the 58 victims of Mandalay Bay shooter Stephen Paddock in 2018, while gaming operators and the Las Vegas officials try to ensure something like this never happens again. (Image: Mikayla Whitmore\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAt candlelit prayer vigils across Las Vegas, the 58 people who lost their lives when a gunman opened fire on an open-air country music concert from a suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay were solemnly remembered.<\/p>\n
The worst mass shooting in American history had been unleashed on Las Vegas, leaving a city known for its “what happens here, stays here” slogan with some rethinking to do.<\/p>\n
MGM Missteps<\/h2>\n
It was in this delicate climate that MGM Resorts International decided to sue thousands of victims of the shootings who had sued the gaming giant. The city’s biggest employer said was not seeking damages from victims, but rather to protect itself from having to litigate suits in varying courts all over the country.<\/p>\n
As the owner of both the Mandalay Bay and the land on which the concert was held, it was facing a growing number of lawsuits claiming it did not do enough to prevent shooter Stephen Paddock from stockpiling a cache of high-powered weaponry in his suite and ultimately shooting down on the Route 91 Harvest musical festival attendees below, which also resulted in more than 500 injuries, including many that were life-altering.<\/p>\n
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MGM wanted to group all this litigation together into one federal lawsuit, where it planned to argue that a seldom-cited federal law relating to acts of terrorism committed on private land protected it from the victims’ claims. The backlash against MGM over the countersuits was immediate and angry, as #boycottMGM quickly began to trend on Twitter — and this time it was about more than just bloated parking and resort fees.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nMGM ultimately failed in its bid to have litigation consolidated before a federal judge, and in late October, announced it was seeking mediation to settle with the victims.<\/p>\n