Las Vegas shooting: Victorians tell of panic as thousands fled from gunfire

VICTORIANS holidaying in Las Vegas say they were enjoying a typical night out in Sin City until the Vegas Strip erupted with panic as thousands of concert attendees fled from gunfire.

VICTORIAN holiday-makers were enjoying a typical night out in Sin City until the Vegas Strip erupted with panic and thousands of concert attendees fled from gunfire.

Melbourne’s Alex Cann told the Herald Sun he was staying in accommodation across the road from the attack when people began to run for their lives.

“We were on the pokies very close to the strip. (It) was very distressing people crying and running through our hotel,” he said.

“We rushed to the lift an old guy in the lift had popped his knee out from running.

“People were rushing from both ends of our hotel,” he said.

“I had heard from a guy in the bathroom there was shooting so we rushed up to our room.

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Alex Cann was on the scene in the Las Vegas shooting. Picture: Facebook

Melburnian Alex Cann was in Las Vegas when the shooting occurred. Picture: Facebook

Mr Cann said the entire hotel had been put under lockdown.

“We weren’t sure where the shooting had occurred so it was pretty scary. We thought possibly the shooter was in our hotel,” he said.

Michael Pintabona said the always bustling Vegas Strip had been completely locked down as police hunted for the shooter.

“(There was) no movement whatsoever on the street just police cars,” he said.

“We are at the Aria. I have a friend who is en route back to his hotel and has been held up in a neighbouring venue.”

“People are very scared.”

Seven News US correspondent Ashlee Mullany was asleep inside the Mandalay Bay when the sound of automatic gunfire woke her.

REPORTER ASHLEE MULLANY WOKEN BY ‘THUNDERING VOLLEY’ OF SHOTS

“It was just after 10.30 when I woke to the sound of these gunshots, we were staying in the Mandalay bay Hotel and it was a thundering volley of gunshots that we could hear, so we evacuated, got down to the lobby of the hotel and that’s when it was just utter chaos,” she said.

Mullany said that the experience of evacuating out of the hotel was terrifying.

“It sounded like hundreds of shots and we’ve not heard there are two people confirmed killed 24 injured which would explain the number of gunshots we were hearing,” she said.

“There are dozens of ambulances lined here too, paramedics that are all on standby waiting to go into that country music festival where we are hearing unconfirmed report of fatalities and multiple injuries.”

People flee the Route 91 Harvest country music festival grounds Picture: David Becker/Getty Images/AFP

Dave Carden said he was three blocks away from the attack when it first happened.

“We were having dinner in the MGM and people started to say there’s an active shooter,” he said.

“People were all moving in one direction in the MGM so we moved as well.

“From our window at the MGM we can see emergency services everywhere.”

The Australian Consulate-General in Los Angeles is making “urgent inquiries” with local authorities in Las Vegas to determine whether any Australians have been caught up in the horror shooting at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino

“If you have any concerns for the welfare of family and friends in the Las Vegas area, you should attempt to contact them directly,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

“If you are unable to contact them and still hold concerns for their welfare, you should call the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1 300 555 135, or [phone] (if calling from overseas).”