Airdrie, Alta., man looks back on 5 years since Las Vegas mass shooting
Trevor Hachey and his wife Tryphena love live music and go to as many concerts as they can.
They used to look for seats closest to the stage – now, they look for seats closest to the door.
"Our first instinct is – where is the nearest exit to get out quickly?" he told CTV News in an interview Thursday. "If it is an outdoor show, we need to figure out how we're getting out of these places."
Five years ago, the Hacheys and several of their friends were in Las Vegas, enjoying a Jason Aldean concert, when bullets started peppering the crowd.
By the end of the evening, 58 people were dead and nearly 500 more were injured by a man who fired into the crowd from a 32nd floor hotel room overlooking the outdoor music festival.
That man, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, killed himself that same evening.
"It's hard to believe it's been five years for sure," said Hachey. "That night was a mad scramble. When the bullets started, you had no idea which way to go, if it was coming from above or below."
Hachey dove behind a bar and stayed there as long as he could, not knowing when the shooting would stop.
He and Tryphena decided to separate as they escaped the concert grounds, hoping that would increase the chances at least one of them would survive.
"We knew we couldn't run together because the shots were coming so close," Hachey said. "We thought somebody needs to come home to the kids, one of us has to get home for sure."
After splitting up , the couple weren't reunited until the following morning, as police converged on the scene, locking down hotels and other public places until the shooter could be found.
The Hacheys, who live in Airdrie, eventually made it back home.
Three other Albertans were among Paddock’s victims.
Hachey says he's grateful he and his wife weren't shot – but that doesn't mean they weren't hurt.
"Now when you see shootings on the news, the PTSD kicks in," he said. "We used to go to Vegas probably two to three times a year, we loved going, we'd always go with friends to see shows but we haven't been there since and aren't even entertaining the idea.”
Still, Hachey says one of the most unlikely results of the tragic shooting was new friendships. He and his wife still keep in touch with the strangers they were locked down with in Las Vegas in the chaotic hours after the shooting.
"We went through the exact same experience," he said. "We're almost a family now."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
These snakes not only fake their own deaths, they use gory special effects to do it
Awards season may be over for human actors this year, but there’s no rest for some of nature’s most audacious thespians.