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Milwaukee women describe Vegas shooting aftermath

People placed on lockdown at nearby hotels
Posted at 9:37 AM, Oct 02, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-02 12:04:19-04

A few people from the Milwaukee area witnessed the aftermath of the Las Vegas mass shooting that killed at least 50 people and injured up to 400 Sunday night. 

The gunman, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, unleashed a hailstorm of bullets from the 32nd floor of the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel during a outdoor performance by country singer Jason Aldean. 

There's no information so far that there were any Wisconsin victims, but Jennie Pucci of Milwaukee and Trudy Jonas of Fox Point had just arrived in Vegas Sunday on vacation. 

They were watching the fountains outside the Bellagio Hotel when people started running and screaming that there had been a shooting. They ran up to the front doors of the Bellagio looking for safety. 

"Honestly, terrorism comes to your mind right away. You're just stunned because you never thought you'd be in this situation. People were crying and running and we didn't know ... we just didn't know. We just took off," Pucci said. 

People on lockdown at the Bellagio
People at the Bellagio Hotel were locked down for four hours following the mass shooting. 

Pucci said that people were panicked and everyone was running around "like crazy, worried about getting trampled."

She said security wouldn't let them inside the hotel at first, but eventually police ordered them to let people in. 

Around 1,000 people were sheltered inside multiple ballrooms at the Bellagio for around 4 hours during a lockdown. Pucci says the hotel provided blankets and water during the lockdown. 

"I think we're ok," Jonas said. "It was scary going out onto the strip and getting back to where we were staying."