Former Hawaii resident recalls praying for safety after Vegas sh - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

"I didn't know what was going on. Nobody knew what was going on."

One Big Island native, who wants Hawaii News Now to use just her first name, Stacey, has worked at a casino close to the Mandalay Bay for two years.

She says she could hear the gunshots echo through the Las Vegas Strip during Sunday's brutal shooting that left 60 dead, and hundreds injured.

Stacey remembers seeing a mass of people and concertgoers scattering, seeking shelter from the gunman. 

"People barreling through the main entrance yelling, screaming, most of them covered in blood," she said. 

Stacey, other employees and the panicked concert goers hid in an employee Area for hours until swat cleared them. 

"Basically we were an escape from across the street," she said. "I grabbed as many as I could to come down with me and just hoped and prayed we would all be safe."

Former KGMB9 reporter Rob Young was in the New York New York's casino when he and dozens of others hid behind machines then a security room.

"People started running through the casing and yelling shooter shooter," Young said. 

One concert promoter, known as Big Daddy, put up a marquee calling for unity after the shooting. He works on many Hawaii events including OceanAid, and knew some of the workers at the music festival where the shooting happened, even though it wasn't one of his concerts. 

"My sound engineer, he hid under an ice cream truck," Big Daddy said. 

Hawaii native Amber Lynn Hyden from Waipahu also had friends at the concert. After finding out they're safe, she is now trying to help survivors.

She stood in long lines at the blood donation center Monday. Even after nine hours, she wasn't able to get in because so many others wanted to donate.

Hyden said the lines wrapped "around the building, zig zagged through, and down the street."

She tried again Tuesday but the Blood Bank told her to make a reservation because lines were just as long.

Hyden is also volunteering to shuttle donated items from the Thomas and Mack reunification center to sites that need to the blankets. Items such as food, water and clothes to families waiting for updates at hospitals and other areas.

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