Las Vegas Shooting Survivors Plan Their Wedding

MISSION VIEJO, CA — Brandon Helmick of Mission Viejo asked girlfriend Mykenzie Lane of Tustin to marry him last week, and she said yes. If you see their engagement photos, smiling faces against a sunset backdrop, they look like so many other couples sharing their joy on the beaches of Orange County.

But this newly engaged couple has a deeper story. They have been through the fire of a night of terror, and come out on the other side. Both are survivors of the Las Vegas Shooting.

On October 1, 2017, Lane and Helmick, her boyfriend of three years, attended the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival, like so many other Orange County residents. They posted selfies from the lawn, enjoying the night and the outdoor concert.

That Sunday night, Jason Aldean took the stage. Moments later, Lane was struck by a bullet. Helmick acted as a human shield, protecting her with his own body, according to NBC4 reports.

That night, 58 people were killed and hundreds were wounded. Still, this pair was drawn closer together, and will have their happily ever after when they wed Aug. 3, on their anniversary.

The pair have known each other since childhood. She played softball, and baseball was his sport, and he now plays at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. According to an interview with Cosmopolitan, the pair knew they were destined for each other.

The Las Vegas shooting was pivotal in their relationship according to that interview.

"Our relationship was strengthened tremendously," Hemlick told Cosmopolitan. "After she was struck with a bullet, I knew she needed help and I wasn't going to let anything stop that from happening."

Many congratulations from Patch.

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Photo, courtesy Mykenzie Lane