Carrie Rae Barnette, a 34-year-old White/Caucasian woman, was tragically killed on October 1, 2017, in the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. A resident of Riverside, California, she was at the concert celebrating a friend's 30th birthday. Barnette had been an employee at Disneyland for over ten years, working in food services at Disney California Adventure. Known for her infectious smile and upbeat personality, she was a beloved friend, sister, and daughter.
On the night of the attack, Barnette was with friends near the stage when the gunman, Stephen Paddock, opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. She was struck in the chest and, tragically, did not survive her injuries. In the ensuing chaos, she was separated from those she was with. Her death was confirmed the following day by her employer, The Walt Disney Co.
The perpetrator of this horrific act, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, was found dead in his hotel room from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Law enforcement determined that Paddock acted alone in carrying out the attack, which claimed the lives of 58 people and injured hundreds more. Despite extensive investigations by local and federal authorities, a clear motive for the shooting was never established. While a man who sold ammunition to Paddock was charged with manufacturing armor-piercing bullets without a license, there were no other suspects or arrests directly related to the planning or execution of the mass shooting. The FBI officially closed its investigation in January 2019, concluding there was no single or clear motivating factor behind Paddock's actions.
