LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A new docuseries about One October was released just a couple days ago. 11 Minutes tells the story of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history through the lens of the survivors.
An executive producer of the film, Ashley Hoff, is a survivor herself. She’s turning her pain into purpose by highlighting the good in humanity on that day.
Ashley and her husband were in town from Los Angeles celebrating their wedding anniversary at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on Oct. 1, 2017. She will never forget when the first gunshots rang out- initially thinking they were fireworks.
“I turn around to take a picture and turn back to him and say, Oh, my gosh, isn't this show amazing? And I watched the person behind him sadly get shot,” Hoff said.
A harrowing night of survival ensued. While Ashley was running away, she had to kick off her cowboy boots.
“When 20,000 people dropped their beverages on the ground, it turned that cement into an ice skating rink,” she added.
Ashley didn’t even realize she broke her arm until they made it to a gas station in Barstow.
“Being a survivor of an event like this, it's not just about surviving 11 minutes. It's about surviving second one and every second of the rest of your life to follow. Being a survivor is a lifelong journey,” Hoff said.
Eight months after the shooting, Ashley received a catalog picturing thousands of personal items left behind by concert goers that night.
“If I recall right, 77 pages of shoes in that initial catalog, five pairs on each page. And there on 56 were those cowboy boots,” she said.
Ashley claimed her boots, and within months, an FBI agent arrived at her door to deliver them.
“And when I opened that box, it was the greatest wave of clarity I've ever had. I knew exactly why I couldn't stop thinking about them. They were the last piece of me that was in that field, and they got to come home. And additionally, although they are certainly responsible for my broken arm, they are a part of my life saving miracle,” Hoff said.
Ashley knew the hundreds of other shoes left behind on the festival grounds each had a story as well. She set out on a mission to tell as many of those stories as she could
“When days are dark, I remember bearing witness to some of the most incredible accounts of humanity, and I was really passionate about recording that history as this anniversary approaches,” Hoff said.
11 Minutes is what Ashley calls the hardest and most rewarding project she’s ever done.
It features Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officers, country artists who were performing that night, and the victims and survivors who met terror with incredible bravery and compassion.
At the end of the final episode, 11 Minutes lists the names of the 58 along with the name of every person lost in a mass shooting in the United States since that night.
“For me, a big part of this was to inspire people through narrative to fight for change. I don't ever want to see another documentary who can spend six and a half minutes listing down names after America's largest mass shooting. I hope that this changes hearts. I hope that… I hope that it changes a lot,” Hoff said.
If you’re interested in watching the documentary, it’s streaming on Paramount+.
