Many Milwaukeeans returning from Las Vegas after Sunday’s shooting are thankful they are safe and mourn for the devastation they left behind.
Several flights came into Mitchell International airport Monday from Las Vegas, the first just after 1:00.
Milwaukee brothers Taylor and Daryl Baxa were in Vegas for the weekend — they were staying across the street from the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino where the shooting took place at the Luxor.
“We drove by and saw Jason Aldean on the big screen singing,” said Taylor. That was just minutes before the shooting began.
The brothers didn’t know much about what was happening outside, heading to bed to catch an early morning flight out. On the plane, many of the passengers recounted stories of survival.
“We sat next to someone on our first flight from Las Vegas this morning to Denver, she was in the way back at the concert. When they were all running they went to a local restaurant and stayed there for like two hours” Daryl said.
The Beric family was also in Las Vegas, closer than they would have liked to be to the shooting. After leaving their hotel, The MGM Grand, Dan Beric and his friends and brother heard the chaos unfolding just down the block.
“We’re walking down and we just heard everybody running and we heard the gunshots and everybody is yelling shooter shooter shooter," Dan said.
He and his group took shelter in a local restaurant where they could still hear what was happening outside.
“You could hear people screaming, through the windows like running and screaming. You could hear the sirens, they didn’t stop — hours, hours, hours of sirens, hours, hours, hours of people screaming” Dan said.
The Beric family cut their trip short and traveled back to Milwaukee today.
“After all that happens I don't want to be there, I don’t want to see the aftermath. I just want to forget about it, come home and be with our families,” Dan said.
