Drummer Recalls "Scary Feelings" During Las Vegas Shooting
GRAPEVINE (CBSDFW.COM) - North Texans who were in Las Vegas during the deadliest shooting in U.S. history started to return home early Monday morning. There are several flights arriving at DFW International Airport spaced throughout the day.
Some of the travelers on those flights were expecting to come back home with stories about a fun weekend at a country music festival, including a show by Jason Aldean. Instead, those people are bringing back stories of survival after at least 58 people were killed and more than 515 others were injured.
Many concert attendees began calling family members during the shooting, afraid that it could be their last conversation.
PHOTOS: LAS VEGAS SHOOTING INJURES HUNDREDS (Warning: Some images may be disturbing)
One of the people arriving in DFW early Monday morning was Edward Villanueva, drummer for the Josh Abbott Band. They played on the festival's main stage just a few hours before the shooting started. He and other band members were on their bus when their manager texted them, telling them to take cover.
"Those gunshots when you hear that assault rifle right there outside of your bus, and the thought that goes through your mind is, 'Wow, this is it,'" Villanueva recalled. "I called my mom, my dad, my wife, talked to them on the phone. Just told them this could be it. And then you could still hear the gunshots going on, rapid-fire, thinking it's just right next to you."
None of the band members were injured.
Villanueva called this one of the "worst, scary feelings" that words simply cannot describe. President Donald Trump ordered all American flags to be flown at half-staff to honor the victims. Meanwhile, ISIS has claimed responsibility for the shooting, but offered no proof. In fact, the shooter actually has ties to North Texas, living in the DFW area as recently as 2010.