The Las Vegas shooting on Sunday resulted in 50+ deaths and 500+ injuries, and Santa Clarita residents that were in attendance have begun to share their experiences.

“We were at the Excalibur enjoying dinner and all of a sudden people started running inside and yelling shooter. No one knew what was going on. The hotel went into lockdown. No one was allowed in or out. They closed the bars and restaurants and took everyone not staying at the hotel into a banquet room. We were given water and blankets and were not allowed to leave until security deemed it safe. We were finally able to leave at 5 AM. We saw people with blood on their clothes. It was very frightening.”

• Margaret Delgado, Canyon Country Resident

“Last night doesn’t feel real yet. Carrying people who were bleeding out to ambulances, using my clothes and taking my boyfriend’s clothes to use as tourniquets, running and finding hiding gunshot wound victims to get them to the ambulances, and watching people die in the streets before the ambulances got there is something you never ever think you’ll be a part of. I’m so thankful my sister, and our friends got out and were safe. Chris and I are safe and driving home today.”

• Ashley Johnson, Santa Clarita Resident

Related: Las Vegas Shooting: At Least Two Santa Clarita Residents, Multiple LASD Deputies Reportedly Struck By Gunfire

“It was our last day attending the 3 day festival of Route 91 in Las Vegas. My friends and I attended the event all day Friday and Saturday, but Sunday, we decided we wanted to lay out by the pool and just attend the last performance, which was Jason Aldean. We arrived at the festival at about 9:15 pm, and everything seemed like it did the last two days prior to Sunday night. The crowd was pumped, and ready to enjoy the last performance of the night. Jason Aldean began his performance at about 9:45 pm, and the crowd went wild! It was my first time ever visiting Las Vegas, and my first time ever at Route 91. After Jason Aldean was finishing his third song performance of the night, I remember hearing what sounded like firecrackers. I believe the time was about 10:08 pm, and when the crowd heard the sounds of what we assumed were firecrackers, we all looked up to see what it was. Seconds later, I saw people ducking to the ground, while the rest of us ran for dear life. I attended the festival with 3 other friends, but because the crowd was chaotic and everyone was running around frantically, unfortunately we were separated from each other. I ran off into a different direction with one of my friends. After we found a trash bin to barricade ourselves, we spotted a young man who was a security guard for the event wounded, it appeared that he had been shot on the hand. My heart was pounding so hard, I thought it was about to jump out. Once I started noticing more people were hurt, that’s when I immediately called my mother, told her that I loved her, and that I needed her to pray. My friend and I noticed a flash of light coming from one of the windows of the Mandalay Bay, and luckily a young gentleman ran to us, and told us to follow him to a safer location. Thankfully, my group of friends and I eventually found each other at around 4 am, and we were all safe. For a minute, I pinched myself hoping that it was all just a nightmare. But it wasn’t. This traumatizing experience has taught me one thing, and that is to always tell your friends and family how much you love them before it is too late. A weekend of laughter, memories, and singing our hearts out to country music turned into our worst nightmare.”

• Mayra Vera, Newhall Resident

“We were with a group and my husband and I and we were in the VIP tent, closest to the street across from Mandalay Bay. I saw out of the corner of my eye some commotion, and I heard a little popping. But I just thought it was fireworks and everyone was having a good time so I wouldn’t let my head go to a place that thought it was bad. But  then the singer stopped and everyone got down and everyone knew it was serious. We didn’t know where it was coming from, or if someone was going to walk into the concert  and start shooting, but we knew it was shooting. We walked on the edge where there wasn’t as many people, and and we’d hear shooting hide behind something, it would stop so we would keep walking, and then it would start up again, and we would hide. We slowly made our way out, and then eventually made it to the MGM, which was our hotel. We didn’t know if there were other shooters because there were rumors of other gunman, and we didn’t know if we should go into our hotel or not. We honestly, had no idea what to do. One of my girlfriends that we met up with eventually was acutally in that grass area, the main area, where most of the shooting happened but she made it out because someone jumped on top of her to protect her. When she wanted to leave she had to get out from underneath him, and she didn’t know if he was injured or not. So when we eventually met up with our group we went to the same hotel room. And we just felt like we needed to stay inside. But when we were told the roads were open we were on the road by 5 a.m.”

• Erin Acquaviva, SCVi teacher, Castaic Resident

“We were at the event, Jason Aldean was playing his last song and we were about 40 to 50 feet away from the stage, and then we heard distant sounds and people thought it was the speaker. And then the music went off, lights turned off, and everyone was confused and screaming and getting down. Everyone was laying down on top of eachother. Someone was screaming that they needed a medic and then we realized it was real when we saw the blood. We ran about 20 of 30 yards and then hid behind some soda machines. And the firing kept going going. We ran the rest of the distance out of the venue. We were behind some of the buildings, and went under a parking structure and made it back to our room at the MGM. We ran to our room as fast as we could, turned off the lights, closed the curtains, and put chairs in front of door. And then we left at about 10:30 in the morning.”

• Paige Ellyson, Valencia  resident

“The amount of love I’m receiving is overwhelming and so appreciated. I am sorry if I haven’t gotten back to all of you. I am currently in a state of shock, despair and confusion. Minutes before the gunfire rang out there we were, singing and laughing…making silly videos. And then bam! All hell broke loose. I could see the gunfire coming from the hotel, we all dropped. We were lucky to have been near a place to hide. Have you ever laid on the ground thinking that was it? You’re a goner. I now have. I kept looking back at my bff and thinking, this is how it ends? I watched a man lose his life right in front of me. Why wasn’t that me? Why was I so “lucky?” It sounded like a war zone. You could feel it…like at gun range. We were one of the last ones to flee the venue. Instructed to stay low and run as fast as we could across what came to be a killing field…… All I could do was run and hope that Maura and I made it across the field. Awful, Sickening, we were directed into the Tropicana lower level where we were put on lock-down for hours. The compassion among the survivors continued to inspire me. I continued to keep my (stuff) together, I had to. We finally made it to our room at 4:30 am…and I lost it. As I looked down at my dirty legs and arms from lying on the ground, I realized we were safe. We are going to get to go home. So many others are not. My heart is broken. I don’t wish this on anyone. How can something so fun and carefree turn into this? People always question my “carpe diem” attitude, but last night is perfect example of why, Tomorrow is not promised friends. Please make time for those you love. Be patient with me and my lack of talking at this time.”

• Anonymous Resident of Santa Clarita Valley

“I was with my best friend Logan, on left side of stage, when it all started. We were were pretty lucky because bullets were hitting the ground 10-15 feet next to us. We didn’t really see any bodies or much blood because we were able to leave pretty fast. At that point we we were trying to avoid where everyone was going. We couldn’t find our parents and for the first five minutes it’s all a blur. It felt like a dream and it still does. I can’t believe this is happening.  I was with my best friend, his parents, and my parents. We weren’t staying on the strip, but we were able to go to the Hooters Hotel and stay there for a while. Once we made it to the Hooters Hotel, my dad called Logan’s dad and that’s when we found out Logan’s mom had been shot and was in the hospital. I knew a couple of people from SCV and they all made it out safe. For the meantime I am staying here for my best friend and his family.”

• Brad Resnick, who is currently staying with the LaPorte family in Las Vegas

Ed. Note: Those Santa Clarita residents wishing to share their testimonies are encouraged to reach out to KHTS. 

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