Jack Beaton died a hero. He was one of 58 people killed in the Las Vegas shooting on October 1, 2017.
He went to the Route 91 concert with his usual group: his wife plus two other couples. When the six people realized bullets were flying, the husbands all laid on top of their wives to protect them.
Jack covered his wife Laurie, telling her he loves her and she returned the sentiment. Those would be the last words they exchanged. Jack was shot and killed while covering Laurie.
One year after the shooting, Laurie said recovery was hard but necessary because she needed to be a rock for her children.
The group of friends, now five, do their best to remember their friend Jack. For the anniversary of his passing, they took a trip to Jack's favorite beach in Orange County. The friends, with their children, rented a boat and took a trip, dropping flowers in the ocean and spending time doing what Jack loved.
Laurie said she is also working to create a scholarship in Jack's name at his former high school, Kern Valley.
