A Gibsonia man in Las Vegas on vacation found himself caught up in the chaos when a gunman opened fire late Sunday night during a country music festival.
Andrew Walsh of Gibsonia is staying at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino but had plans last night to stop inside the Mandalay Bay hotel while sight-seeing.
“We were at the Rio last night doing some ziplining and we were actually going to take a stop at Mandalay Bay but we came back to our hotel to drop things off and decided to stay in,” Walsh told the Butler Radio Network early Monday.
Walsh was inside his hotel room when he heard the news of the unfolding tragedy.
“It hit me all at once,” he said. “You could hear police cars, sirens and helicopters swirling.”
He is planning to stay in Vegas for a few more days and says he will not let this event affect his plans.
“Every time I’ve been out here, people are very warm and very friendly. This is definitely not the type of atmosphere where you would think in a million years that something like this would happen,” Walsh said. “We’re going to go out there and still do everything we want to do. This will not slow me down.”
Police say more than 50 people have been killed and over 500 injured in what marks the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. The gunman, who took his own life, opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino and shot down into an outdoor concert venue across the street.
Andrew Walsh of Gibsonia was in Las Vegas when the mass shooting occurred. He took this photo early Monday morning.
Taken early Monday by Andrew Walsh of Gibsonia. A portion of the Las Vegas Strip was closed for several hours following the incident.
Andrew Walsh of Gibsonia and a friend wait
in a long line to donate blood in Las Vegas
following the mass shooting
