White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders emotionally recounted some acts of heroism surrounding the Las Vegas mass shooting at the outset of her briefing on Monday.
Sanders told stories of people who protected strangers as the shooter rained down gunfire from his hotel room; another couple fled the shooting and returned in their pick-up truck to help transport the wounded to nearby hospitals.
Also, Sanders noted the story of Gail Davis, a concert-goer who says she owed her life to a police officer who instinctively served as a human shield for her.
"What these people did for each other says far more about who we are as Americans than the cowardly acts of a killer ever could. The Gospel of John reminds us that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for a friend," Sanders said, choking up. "The memory of those who displayed the ultimate expression of love in the midst of an unimaginable act of hate will never fade."
"Their examples will serve as an eternal reminder that the American spirit cannot and will not ever be broken," she said. "In the days ahead, we will grieve as a nation. We will honor the memory of those lost as a nation, and we will come together, united as one nation, under God, and indivisible."
At least 58 people were killed and more than 500 injured Sunday night when a gunman opened fire on country music concert-goers from his room at Mandalay Bay, making it the deadliest mass shooting in American history.
President Donald Trump will visit Las Vegas on Wednesday to thank first responders for their efforts and meet with victim's family members. Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said the shooting was an "act of pure evil" and called for unity and prayers in its wake.