Here they come. Less than 24 hours after the worst mass shooting in U.S. history occurred, we’re hearing stories of heroism from those who just happened to be in the right place at well, the right time.

MSNBC reports today that a number of off-duty police officers happened to be in the crowd attending the country music performance at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. Some of them were from Las Vegas and Clark County; others reportedly were California police officers who were visiting Las Vegas with their families.

How did they react when the gunman opened fire with his automatic weapon from the 32nd floor of the hotel/casino? What did they do? They reacted as they were trained to react. They sprung into action, shielding other event attendees from the gunfire; they worked to get potential victims off the floor and out of the way; they administered first aid; they talked to each other and to victims, lending aid and comfort.

What’s more, the first responders who were on duty — the firefighters, medical personnel and law enforcement officials — rushed toward the gunfire to do the jobs they were trained to do.

Is there a glimmer of a silver lining to be gleaned by these reports? Yes, certainly. Our hearts still are broken for the victims of the shooting. In this time of national grief, however, it also might be a tiny bit therapeutic to think of the heroes who answered the call.

Let us prepare ourselves for many stories in the future that will remind us of the heroes who suit up every single day to protect and serve the public.