US terror
NATIONAL: A New Zealander caught up in the Las Vegas mass shooting feared she and her family were about to die. Kiwi Michelle Chamberlain described how the gunfire ‘‘just kept going’’, and remembers screaming and telling her family she loved them.
"We didn't know whether the shooter was in the venue, where he was firing from, or whether he was coming in our direction." Michelle Chamberlain
A New Zealander caught up in the Las Vegas mass shooting feared she and her family were about to die.
Kiwi Michelle Chamberlain described how the gunfire ‘‘just kept going’’, and remembers ‘‘screaming and telling my son and husband that I love them’’, as the bullets rained down.
Stephen Paddock killed at least 59 people and injured hundreds more when he opened fire on the country music festival crowd from the window of a nearby high-rise hotel suite.
Chamberlain added ‘‘the fear was horrific’’ and the awful ordeal had traumatised her 4-year-old son.
‘‘My son said to me ‘mum, why was he trying to kill us? All we were doing was watching music’,’’ the Kiwi mother said. ‘‘It breaks my heart that he had to go through it. He knows what happened and has been asking questions, and we’re answering them the best we can.’’
Chamberlain had travelled to Las Vegas for the Route 91 Harvest festival with her husband and son, and her 17-year-old brother.
On Sunday evening they were exhausted after three days of dancing and singing, but eagerly awaiting a performance by country star Jake Owen.
The family was near the back of the crowd. Jason Aldean had just begun his set when there was the sound of popping explosions. Chamberlain thought it was fireworks.
‘‘I looked to the right and saw smoke by the bleachers and asked my husband if fireworks were legal in Nevada,’’ she said. ’’Soon after we heard it again and the crowd just started running.’’
Chamberlain said everything became a blur as she realised someone was firing bullets at people in the audience.
‘‘We didn’t know whether the shooter was in the venue, where he was firing from, or whether he was coming in our direction,’’ she said. ‘‘I remember running and then falling over. My husband was carrying our son and picked me up by my arm as well and got us into a vendor stall with a lot of others.’’
A stranger comforted Chamberlain as the terrified concertgoers huddled for shelter.
‘‘She kept saying ‘be strong mumma, be strong for your boy, we’re all going to be fine’,’’ Chamberlain said. ‘‘She then drew her attention to my son and told him how brave he was being. I then noticed that my brother was not with us and the panic set in again.’’
The group made a dash for cover during a brief pause in the shooting. ’’We all ran behind some bleachers and the gunfire started again,’’ Chamberlain said. ‘‘It seemed to never stop.’’
They later made their way to the casino at Tropicana across the road and sought refuge there.
‘‘People started getting phones out to call loved ones, ringing to find out where their friends were,’’ Chamberlain said. ‘‘My husband tried contacting my brother but no answer.’’
It later emerged Chamberlain’s brother had become separated from the rest of the group during the shooting.
‘‘He ran a different way, following others and ducking from gunfire when needed,’’ she said.
The family was eventually reunited back at their hotel room. ’’It seemed like an eternity before my brother got there,’’ Chamberlain said. ’’When he walked through the door all the tears came out and we just cried and cried. There was very little sleep that night.’’
The family left Las Vegas the morning after the shooting. She said they were bruised and scraped but were otherwise unscathed.