Soap star survives shootout
AN EastEnders actor was close to the scene when Stephen Paddock opened fire in Las Vegas last Sunday.
Shaheen Jafargholi,
20, who joined EastEnders as Shakil Kazemi last year, was at the Wynn hotel at the time of the massacre.
It is just a short walk from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino where hundreds of concert-goers were killed in the worst shooting in US history.
Pals and fans of TV actor Shaheen feared he had been a victim of the attack, which also left hundreds injured. They knew he was in the city because he and former co-star Amy Leigh Hickman,
20, had posted about the trip on social media.
One concerned fan messaged him and asked: “Are you okay.”
Another said: “Praying @AmyLHickman @shaheenofficial and everyone else in Las Vegas is okay.”
While one wrote: “Are you OK bro?”
Shaheen tweeted in the wake of the massacre and assured his tens of thousands of followers he was safe.
He said: “Thanks for all your kind messages of concern… we are all good in Vegas.
“My prayers to the people who are not.”
Co-star Bonnie Langford, 53, who plays Carmel Kazemi, was among those to reply to his message.
Swansea-born Shaheen and pal Amy, who starred in the BBC soap as Linzi Bragg, stayed on in Vegas in the days after the attack.