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
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.