*By Carlo Versano* Exactly one year after the worst mass shooting in modern American history, one survivor has reason for optimism. Robert Gaafar, who attended the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas last year, told Cheddar that despite the unresponsive pace of gun legislation on the federal level, he is heartened by progress in statehouses around the country. Last October, Stephen Paddock opened fire from the window of his Mandalay Bay suite, killing 58 in a 10-minute reign of terror before turning his gun on himself. Since then, 18 states, with governors who span the political spectrum, have passed gun regulations, while 11 have passed bans on bump stocks ー the lethal devices that turn rifles into ad hoc machine guns. Paddock had 14 bump stocks as part of his arsenal, allowing him to fire more than 1,100 rounds into the crowd below him. "We can do something about this," Gaafar said. As part of the Everytown Survivor Network, he is helping promote the gun-control group's new $5 million ad campaign ahead of the midterm elections. The campaign, "Not One More," targets voters in 15 competitive House districts with messaging about gun safety and promotes "gun sense candidates," as Gaafar called them. Gaafar, an entrepreneur who founded BeerBox, an internet-connected beer vending machine, never planned to become a gun safety activist. Then again, he never planned to be part of a moving target of 20,000 people running for cover "in between reloads," he said. On the one year anniversary of the Vegas shooting, Gaafar and Everytown have focused on supporting state and local politicians who back "straightforward and common sense" gun laws ー like universal background checks, a policy that has near-universal support. Like many others, Gaafar said he's disheartened when he hears politicians say that nothing can be done to stop the American epidemic of gun violence. "Laws do something," he said. "The basic role of government is to protect its citizens." For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-one-las-vegas-shooting-survivor-is-working-to-change-americas-gun-laws).

Share:
More In Politics
What to Expect From the Federal Government on Cannabis Legalization in 2022
Cheddar's Chloe Aiello has our cannabis year-in-review, breaking down how several states legalized adult recreational use and greenlit medicinal use in 2021. She noted that while a cannabis legalization and decriminalization bill was introduced in Congress this year, potential FDA involvement in the industry, as well as a 25 percent excise tax, killed any chance the bill had of moving forward. Aiello also speculated that some form of cannabis reform could be rolled out in 2022, as the midterm elections draw closer.
Stocks Close Mostly Lower as S&P Falls From Record
Jim Worden, Chief Investment Officer at Wealth Consulting Group, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says the period between Christmas and New Year's is difficult to predict due to a lack of institutional volume, with the Omicron variant adding even more uncertainty on Wall Street.
Gas Prices to Rise in 2022 amid Soaring Demand, Omicron Spread
Prices at the pump this year reached a seven-year high, and a new forecast from GasBuddy shared with CNN predicts that gas prices will only continue to rise in 2022 and that the national average could even reach $4.00 a gallon; however, analysts at GasBuddy say anything could happen when it comes to gas prices in the future, as the pandemic has made it difficult to make any predictions about the economy. Consumer Energy Alliance federal policy advisor Michael Zehr joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Load More