New Port Richey woman witnesses Vegas shooting

NEW PORT RICHEY (FOX13) - When Heather Schneider was finally allowed to leave the Mandalay Bay Hotel after a night right out of hell, the walk along the strip was just as traumatic.

Schneider lives in New Port Richey and was with her boyfriend on a Vegas vacation.

"You look down and there are just pools of blood everywhere," Schneider said.

The normally busy Vegas Strip was desolate with blood stained clothing littering the streets.

"You don't ever see Vegas like that."

The night before they went to the Mandalay Bay Hotel to see a show and were in a restaurant -- fourteen floors above the gunman as he opened fire on the concert crowd below.

"The people, still on the balcony ran back inside and said they could hear a semi-automatic rifle going off," Schneider said.

A few moments later...

"We just started hearing screams...and we heard, get down, get down! ...so we ran to the back of the restaurant...and hid under chairs."

Heather says a SWAT team rushed into the room and made them show their hands, they were then escorted to an interior room inside the hotel where they were on lock-down for nine hours.

"We thought the shooter was coming in, and at that point your life really does flash in front of your eyes."

When they were given the all clear they could see the windows the shooter had busted out -- the walk back to their hotel, was horrible.

"You feel like you just walked into a movie and you think...think, this can’t be real. ...but it is real."

Schneider says there have been lots of hugs between her and her boyfriend, and they can’t wait to return to their friends and family in New Port Richey.