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| 'Absolute mayhem': Britons in Las Vegas describe terror and panic | 'Absolute mayhem': Britons in Las Vegas describe terror and panic |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Britons caught up in the Las Vegas mass shooting on Sunday night have spoken of the “absolute mayhem”, terror and panic. | |
| George French, from Bristol, travelled to Las Vegas for the country music concert where at least 58 people were killed and more than 515 injured. He was close to the stage when he heard shots being fired. | |
| “Everyone ducked down except me, and then I saw people start to stampede, so I got down too,” he said. He was ushered to a safe place, but got separated from his friends in the chaos. “But I’ve spoken to them and they’re all OK,” he told the BBC. | “Everyone ducked down except me, and then I saw people start to stampede, so I got down too,” he said. He was ushered to a safe place, but got separated from his friends in the chaos. “But I’ve spoken to them and they’re all OK,” he told the BBC. |
| The British tennis player Laura Robson, 23, who had posted an Instagram picture of herself at the concert earlier in the evening, informed her followers on social media that she was OK. “We were right there … [it] sounded like fireworks at first then everyone started running. Scary,” Robson tweeted. “My friend who was deeper in the crowd has been helping people who were shot. We are all in shock.” | The British tennis player Laura Robson, 23, who had posted an Instagram picture of herself at the concert earlier in the evening, informed her followers on social media that she was OK. “We were right there … [it] sounded like fireworks at first then everyone started running. Scary,” Robson tweeted. “My friend who was deeper in the crowd has been helping people who were shot. We are all in shock.” |
| Newlyweds Stuart and Zara McCormick, from Northern Ireland, hid behind a stall when the shooting started. “We were close to the middle [of the concert] when we heard [the] noises and panicked,” Stuart told the BBC. “Zara ran and brought me with her to the exit. But we were held inside. I realised it was coming from the Mandalay Bay side,” he said. The couple ended up hiding in a hotel car park. | Newlyweds Stuart and Zara McCormick, from Northern Ireland, hid behind a stall when the shooting started. “We were close to the middle [of the concert] when we heard [the] noises and panicked,” Stuart told the BBC. “Zara ran and brought me with her to the exit. But we were held inside. I realised it was coming from the Mandalay Bay side,” he said. The couple ended up hiding in a hotel car park. |
| Mike Thompson, on holiday from London, ran for safety when he heard gunshots while walking back to his hotel with his partner. “We saw people running towards us in total panic. One man had blood all over him, and that’s when I knew something was seriously wrong. I could hear automatic gunfire so I grabbed my partner and we ran to the back street,” he said. | Mike Thompson, on holiday from London, ran for safety when he heard gunshots while walking back to his hotel with his partner. “We saw people running towards us in total panic. One man had blood all over him, and that’s when I knew something was seriously wrong. I could hear automatic gunfire so I grabbed my partner and we ran to the back street,” he said. |
| He recalled chaos as people scrambled to safety in bars. “Drinks were flying everywhere and people were panicking,” he told the BBC. “There were police helicopters and dozens of ambulances going down the Strip. It was very scary.” | He recalled chaos as people scrambled to safety in bars. “Drinks were flying everywhere and people were panicking,” he told the BBC. “There were police helicopters and dozens of ambulances going down the Strip. It was very scary.” |
| Tony Richardson, from Manchester, was kept in a basement area of Caesars Palace before being moved to one of the management floors and ushered into a room with about 100 others, including children. After being held for two and a half hours, they were allowed to leave. “The Strip was empty, it was eerily quiet,” he told the BBC. | Tony Richardson, from Manchester, was kept in a basement area of Caesars Palace before being moved to one of the management floors and ushered into a room with about 100 others, including children. After being held for two and a half hours, they were allowed to leave. “The Strip was empty, it was eerily quiet,” he told the BBC. |
| Nathan Judah, a journalist from Wolverhampton, said his hotel was in lockdown. He tweeted: | Nathan Judah, a journalist from Wolverhampton, said his hotel was in lockdown. He tweeted: |
| Back in room now & hotel on lockdown. Vegas strip is pandemonium. Looking after lady who was in the middle of it all and is v.shaken. Scary | Back in room now & hotel on lockdown. Vegas strip is pandemonium. Looking after lady who was in the middle of it all and is v.shaken. Scary |
| He told the BBC: “Hundreds of people were screaming. Everybody was on their phones trying to call their loved ones.” | He told the BBC: “Hundreds of people were screaming. Everybody was on their phones trying to call their loved ones.” |
| Holidaymaker Ian Thorne, who was separated from his friends in the chaos, told BBC Radio Bristol it was “mayhem, basically, absolute mayhem”. He added: “A police cordon was put across and no one was allowed to come through and everyone was in a state of panic.” | Holidaymaker Ian Thorne, who was separated from his friends in the chaos, told BBC Radio Bristol it was “mayhem, basically, absolute mayhem”. He added: “A police cordon was put across and no one was allowed to come through and everyone was in a state of panic.” |
| British soldiers were among those who tended the wounded at the scene. Three off-duty troopers from the 1st the Queen’s Dragoon Guards had been in Nevada for desert training and were enjoying time off in Las Vegas when the shooting began. | British soldiers were among those who tended the wounded at the scene. Three off-duty troopers from the 1st the Queen’s Dragoon Guards had been in Nevada for desert training and were enjoying time off in Las Vegas when the shooting began. |
| The soldiers were involved in the immediate treatment of casualties and the subsequent prioritisation and handover of the wounded to the Las Vegas emergency service. An army spokesman said: “We can confirm that a number of serving personnel from 1st the Queen’s Dragoon Guards provided assistance to the wounded following the heinous shooting in Las Vegas. Our thoughts go out to those affected by this terrible act.” | The soldiers were involved in the immediate treatment of casualties and the subsequent prioritisation and handover of the wounded to the Las Vegas emergency service. An army spokesman said: “We can confirm that a number of serving personnel from 1st the Queen’s Dragoon Guards provided assistance to the wounded following the heinous shooting in Las Vegas. Our thoughts go out to those affected by this terrible act.” |
| The foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, urged Britons in Las Vegas to follow the instructions of local authorities, while the Foreign Office advised them to contact family and friends to let them know they were safe. | The foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, urged Britons in Las Vegas to follow the instructions of local authorities, while the Foreign Office advised them to contact family and friends to let them know they were safe. |