What happened Sunday night, October 1st, 2017, in Las Vegas was absolutely horrific.

While the city has had it’s share of terrible crimes over the decades, this is going down as not only the worst crime of all, but the largest mass shooting in our nation’s history.

From it’s early development, Las Vegas has been known as the magic “mecca” in my industry; a place where people could travel and see some of the best performances of magic, illusion, and mentalism in the world. Siegfried and Roy, Lance Burton, Mac King, David Copperfield, Criss Angel, and Penn & Teller are among the most famous names in the world of magic who have helped make the Las Vegas strip what it is today with it’s world-reknown amazing acts.

The fun and excitement of a great get-away that Las Vegas has always been known for is now marred greatly by this terrible tragedy.

The whole event reminds me of the Boston Marathon Bombing, an incident which, for me, hit too close to home. My youngest daughter was visiting a friend in Boston at the time, and told us they were going to see the Marathon. The day of the bombing, I had just finished working out at our downtown YMCA and happened to walk past a television to see the breaking news-the bombing at the finish line. It was surreal. Could something so random as my youngest daughter going to visit a friend have cost her her life?

You can only imagine my relief when I found out she was on a plane at the airport at the time it occured. She was safely on her way home. However, she had just been right down near the finish line area the day before. One of those victims could have been my own daughter.

My many thoughts and prayers for healing and comfort are with friends, families, and victims of this terrible event.

If you’re reading this today, instead of getting swept up in all of the politics and division that will likely ensue in the wake of this event, go hug the people you know and love and tell them that you love them. You truly never know when will be the last time you will ever see them, especially in today’s crazy world. Put aside any petty grievances and think about how thankful you truly are to have them around.

May God bless each and every one of you.