AAAPO Offers Condolences to Those Affected By Las Vegas Concert Tragedy - Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association

The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) is extremely saddened by the events that took place last night in Las Vegas, Nevada, during a music concert, and offers its thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of those affected by this tragedy.

This incident has claimed the lives of innocent bystanders who were simply going about and enjoying their daily lives. Such an event serves as a stark reminder that there are those who seek to harm and disrupt our way of life by inflicting pain and suffering, but we must all remain vigilant in the face of those who would hurt us.

The AAAPO commends the law enforcement officers and first responders in Las Vegas who expertly performed their duties and aided the hundreds who were injured in the melee of the shooting. Off-duty police officers were among those attending the concert, and police were observed running in the direction of the shooter while other officers shielded the injured with their bodies and instructed panicked, innocent civilians to take cover.

“We extend our deepest condolences to everyone impacted by the Las Vegas shooting,” says Paul Nunziato, president of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Benevolent Association and co-founder of the AAAPO. “I stayed at the Mandalay Bay Resort this weekend and watched people in cowboy boots and hats walk by me throughout my stay. They were having a good time and bothered nobody. I passed the concert on my way to the airport just 10 to 15 minutes prior to shooting. My fellow officers were locked down in their hotel. This is a horrible act that is now America’s worst mass shooting — a designation no American is proud of, but one that we must all work to prevent from happening again.”

“Our sympathies go out to the victims, their families and loved ones in these attacks that are taking place all too frequently and becoming way too common,” says Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association and co-founder of the AAAPO. “Between this tragedy and the Orlando nightclub shooting, the multiple terrorist attacks in Europe and the targeted shooting of police in Dallas and Baton Rouge last summer, it is clear that these attacks will not stop, but we must all come together to root out evil and the threats that seek to harm our way of life.”

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The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) is composed of rank-and-file airport police officers (including many dual police/aircraft rescue firefighters) who stand as the first line of defense against terrorist attacks, hijackings and other criminal activity at our nation’s airports. We seek to promote security and safety for the traveling public, visitors and airport employees by highlighting best practices and identifying areas for improvement and proposed solutions for our nation’s airport security deployment. AAAPO focuses on regulatory issues that promote our efforts to provide the most advanced and cutting-edge service innovations and security processes in our nation and the world. Our organization represents thousands of sworn law enforcement officers across the United States beholden only to this mission. We are unencumbered by neither political nor managerial constraints that would prevent us from promoting sound public safety policy.

The founding members of the American Alliance of Airport Police Officers are composed of numerous rank-and-file airport police officers from John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Van Nuys Airport, Stewart International Airport and Teterboro Airport.