Tourists, casino workers and more were seen running on Las Vegas Boulevard and in casinos Saturday night after false reports of a shooter on the Strip.
According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, a man threw a rock at a glass door at MGM Grand, causing the glass to shatter. The loud noise caused panic among people nearby who thought there was a shooter.
It all started at MGM Grand when a person threw a rock at the glass door of MGM Grand making a loud noise and prompting precautions as security investigated the area for a possible shooter or shooter. Alerting through social media and radio communication that there could have been a shooting. All a miscommunication on the property security part.
Panic spread nearly instantly through social media, from MGM Grand to Aria to Bally’s, which was hosting the World Series of Poker.
News reporter at FOX5′s Dani Masten was inside the Aria at the time and describes firsthand what she saw.
I was sitting inside one of the lobby bars at the Aria.
A musician was singing, and people were enjoying some drinks and the music.
Just before 10:30 pm, I saw a flood of people running in the same direction through the casino. People were saying, “Run, get out, hide.”
There was a railing that separated the lobby bar and the elevators to the hotel rooms. People were running and jumping over that railing. It appeared to me that they were trying to get to their rooms.
People were knocked to the ground and drinks were spilling everywhere. Waiters and waitresses were hiding behind the bars. The casino floor and the lobby bar were empty within a couple of minutes.
A security guard was escorting people through side doors near the bar from what I remember, it was an emergency exit. About 20 of us were guided down some stairs and into the underground part of the Aria. We were there for about 20 minutes.
Once we were told the stampede initiated from the shattered glass at MGM. Security told us to stay sheltered in place for a little longer before going back out to the casino.
When we were finally able to return to the casino, the musician who was signing at the lobby bar before the stampede began told me it brought back too familiar feelings of what he experienced at the Route 91 music festival in October 2017.
“It was just kind of a little flashback to another time that we had in this town,” said Cory Brown who was at the Aria Saturday night. It just felt like October 1 all over again. “It’s just so crazy that the panic that happens from another property over, and it just washes over scary, scary stuff.”
Vital Vegas called the aftermath from the incident “insanity.”
The response — and ensuing panic across multiple resorts — created far more harm than the incident itself,” Vital Vegas said.
Social media posts claimed that the panic also led to “a lot of money” getting lost.
“Everyone left their money in the slot machines. Employees and pit bosses cleared out. Somebody cleaned up. At least four casinos,” one poster said.
Metro police made it a priority to inform the crowds on the Strip the reports of gunfire were unfounded.
LVMPD said Thompson Bradley was arrested for the destruction of property following the rock-throwing incident. FOX5 reached out to Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson about possible additional charges but has yet to hear back as of Monday afternoon.
Source: Fox5 / Vital Vegas