American Red Cross ships blood supplies to Las Vegas

The American Red Cross has shipped supplies to Las Vegas after Sunday’s deadly mass shooting.

“We sent additional 450 blood (units) and blood products to Las Vegas through yesterday,” External Communications Manager Joe Zydlo said.

He also told ABC 17 News that people who donate first and foremost will help the hospitals the American Red Cross serves in their region. “We ask people to donate so that we have enough in reserve, so we can send them to the city that suffers a tragedy such as Las Vegas did if it is needed,” said Zydlo.

The organization said it’s prepared to handle similar casualty situations in mid-Missouri, but may need help with specific or rare blood types and platelets.

Since Sunday’s shooting, Zydlo said the mid-Missouri area, specifically Columbia and Jefferson City, has tripled the normal amount of blood donations the American Red Cross receives.

“It’s been an incredible response, but that’s usually what happens when there is a tragedy like this,” Zydlo said. “We see the best of our country. People come out. They want to do whatever they can to help. There isn’t any division, you know, there’s nothing political about that. It’s people wanting to help other people that they don’t know because it’s very relatable. It could be your son or daughter.”

Mizzou’s annual homecoming blood drive will be held next week at the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse.

If you want to donate, the drive runs from Monday, Oct. 9, through Thursday, Oct. 12, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story stated the Missouri and Illinois-area American Red Cross sent blood products to Las Vegas after Sunday’s deadly shooting. Zydlo clarified the American Red Cross as a whole sent 450 blood products to Las Vegas. He said it is not clear if those products came from the Missouri-Illinois region.