A Santa Barbara couple was among the hundreds of people wounded Sunday night in the deadly mass shooting incident in Las Vegas.
Dr. Brian Mack and his wife, Lara Cerrito Mack, both were struck by the barrage of bullets fired into the crowd at a country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip.
The gunman — identified by Las Vegas police as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada — unleashed the attack on the Route 91 Festival with automatic weapons from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. He was later found dead in the hotel room, police said.
At least 58 people were killed and more than 500 were injured in the attack, which reportedly lasted about 15 minutes, according to authorities.
Brian Mack, an anesthesiologist affiliated with Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, was critically injured in the attack, according to a Facebook posting by Lara Mack.
“Brian is in ICU (because) he had abdominal surgery due to gunshot wounds, but is doing well considering the situation,” Lara Mack wrote. “He’s a strong guy and just needs to heal and hopefully no complications but so far looks good.”
Lara Mack, a fitness professional at Gold’s Gym and Killer B Fitness in Santa Barbara, was grazed in the head by a bullet.
“I have a guardian angel, because a bullet literally grazed and cut a long gash along my entire top of my head,” she wrote. “Lots of staples and a clean CAT scan and released today.”
In her Facebook posting, Lara recalled the scene as the attack was unfolding:
“Thought that was it for a second then realized it wasn’t and survival mode took over. The acts of heroism I saw last night and all night were so beyond words. So so thankful. I am so grateful to be here.
“Thankful my sister and her husband are also okay, although he was hit in shoulder being the firefighter he is and protecting my sister from harm. He will be okay.
“Traumatizing and just so scary I don’t know what to say.”
Click here to find out how to make a blood donation for the Las Vegas victims.
Local Assemblyman in Mandalay Bay Lockdown
Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham was inside the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas when the attack occurred.
Cunningham of San Luis Obispo, who represents the 35th Assembly District, wrote on Facebook that he and his wife were at a show in the hotel when the shooting started, and police put the theater on lockdown for five hours until they could safely bus the attendees out.
“Police handled the situation expertly, and incredibly an entire theater of people remained calm and orderly throughout,” Cunningham said in a story by the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.