Crime & Safety

Las Vegas Shooting: MBPD Employee And Teacher Killed

Both were shot to death while attending the Route 91 Harvest country music festival.

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA –A Manhattan Beach Middle School teacher and Manhattan Beach Police Department employee were among those killed in the mass shooting on the Las Vegas strip, officials said Monday.

Sandy Casey was with a group of Manhattan Beach Unified School District teachers who attended the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival on the Las Vegas Strip, according to the district. In a message sent to district employees, Superintendent Mike Matthews called her death "unbelievably sad and tragic."

"As you can imagine, this loss is impacting many of our staff members deeply, and while we collectively grieve, we will be working to provide support to everyone affected."

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Counselors were sent to the middle school campus to provide support for students, teachers and parents. Matthews visited the campus Monday morning, the Daily Breeze reported. Casey worked at the district for nine years.

"We lost a spectacular teacher who devoted her life to helping some of our most needy students," Matthews said.

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Meanwhile, the Manhattan Beach Police Department announced that records technician Rachael Parker was also killed in the shooting. Four MBPD employees were attending the concert when Parker was fatally shot.

"She was employed with the Manhattan Beach Police Department for 10 years and will be greatly missed," according to the department.

Photo of Rachael Parker courtesy of the Manhattan Beach Police Department

A Manhattan Beach police officer was also shot during the massacre but suffered only minor injuries, according to the department.

In Simi Valley in Ventura County, a 53-year-old Simi Valley Unified School District office manager, Susan Smith, was also killed in the shooting. She worked for the district for 16 years.

For a complete roundup of Southlanders confirmed injured or killed by the mass shooting, check out this developing story.

Photo: Drapes billow out of broken windows at the Mandalay Bay resort and casino Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, on the Las Vegas Strip following a deadly shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas. A gunman was found dead inside a hotel room. Photo by John Locher/Associated Press

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Secondary photo of Rachael Parker courtesy of the Manhattan Beach Police Department

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