Vegas Attack Survivor: ‘I Was Agnostic Going in and Now I’m a Firm Believer in God’

BERMAN Tell me what ░░░░░░░░ saw I understand you ░░░░░░░░ on the right side ░░░░░░░░ the stage when the ░░░░░░░░ started What did you ░░░░░░░░ BENGE At first we ░░░░░░░░ just watching the concert ░░░░░░░░ heard about four pops ░░░░░░░░ almost sounded like a ░░░░░░░░ or one of those ░░░░░░░░ you pull the strings ░░░░░░░░ But then immediately after ░░░░░░░░ I noticed that the ░░░░░░░░ he ran to the ░░░░░░░░ and then the lights ░░░░░░░░ on and a man ░░░░░░░░ even five feet away ░░░░░░░░ me I don t ░░░░░░░░ to go into detail ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ was with us much ░░░░░░░░ after that because of ░░░░░░░░ bullet wound to the ░░░░░░░░ But as soon as ░░░░░░░░ saw that I knew ░░░░░░░░ was wrong And you ░░░░░░░░ like the previous guy ░░░░░░░░ it was relentless bullets ░░░░░░░░ I think the only ░░░░░░░░ he took a break ░░░░░░░░ so the muzzle didn ░░░░░░░░ weld itself shut and ░░░░░░░░ he could keep shooting ░░░░░░░░ was just it was ░░░░░░░░ horrible everything that was ░░░░░░░░ on We we started ░░░░░░░░ to the left end ░░░░░░░░ we could hear the ░░░░░░░░ were coming from Mandalay ░░░░░░░░ or at least in ░░░░░░░░ general direction But even ░░░░░░░░ know hurdling of everything ░░░░░░░░ getting over the fences ░░░░░░░░ whatnot it almost felt ░░░░░░░░ we were getting closed ░░░░░░░░ Because no matter which ░░░░░░░░ you went in no ░░░░░░░░ where you took cover ░░░░░░░░ were at least two ░░░░░░░░ three bodies that were ░░░░░░░░ of it and you ░░░░░░░░ t know where you ░░░░░░░░ safe BERMAN Where did ░░░░░░░░ go and how long ░░░░░░░░ it before you did ░░░░░░░░ you were safe BENGE ░░░░░░░░ I didn t even ░░░░░░░░ I was safe until ░░░░░░░░ an hour or two ░░░░░░░░ the fact Once we ░░░░░░░░ sister and I we ░░░░░░░░ running to the left ░░░░░░░░ every time they shot ░░░░░░░░ took cover because you ░░░░░░░░ you don t want ░░░░░░░░ be the one guy ░░░░░░░░ s just standing up ░░░░░░░░ because for all we ░░░░░░░░ that would just make ░░░░░░░░ a target But my ░░░░░░░░ you know being as ░░░░░░░░ as she is she ░░░░░░░░ threw herself on top ░░░░░░░░ me and saying I ░░░░░░░░ you Taylor I love ░░░░░░░░ And I ll never ░░░░░░░░ that But we didn ░░░░░░░░ know we were safe ░░░░░░░░ like we were sitting ░░░░░░░░ the McCarran one of ░░░░░░░░ hangars almost a car ░░░░░░░░ ran through the gate ░░░░░░░░ to get on the ░░░░░░░░ just to get away ░░░░░░░░ that location Because as ░░░░░░░░ as we knew there ░░░░░░░░ multiple gunners and we ░░░░░░░░ t know which direction ░░░░░░░░ were coming from And ░░░░░░░░ employees at the time ░░░░░░░░ t letting us in ░░░░░░░░ they didn t know ░░░░░░░░ was going on But ░░░░░░░░ you know evan even ░░░░░░░░ hour and 30 minutes ░░░░░░░░ didn t even know ░░░░░░░░ I was safe CUOMO ░░░░░░░░ said you believed the ░░░░░░░░ was coming from the ░░░░░░░░ Bay Did you have ░░░░░░░░ sense and it can ░░░░░░░░ hard to tell this ░░░░░░░░ of thing did you ░░░░░░░░ any sense it was ░░░░░░░░ from above from the ░░░░░░░░ floor BENGE Part of ░░░░░░░░ did just because of ░░░░░░░░ vantage point he must ░░░░░░░░ had to get some ░░░░░░░░ the shots that I ░░░░░░░░ seen because there was ░░░░░░░░ tent And if it ░░░░░░░░ on this side and ░░░░░░░░ took cover here there ░░░░░░░░ still bodies on that ░░░░░░░░ of people just laying ░░░░░░░░ pools of blood And ░░░░░░░░ still didn t even ░░░░░░░░ if that was safe ░░░░░░░░ not but you know ░░░░░░░░ s kind of a ░░░░░░░░ flight situation You can ░░░░░░░░ really you just have ░░░░░░░░ take it to God ░░░░░░░░ that point and you ░░░░░░░░ hope that you can ░░░░░░░░ it and hope that ░░░░░░░░ are safe And I ░░░░░░░░ I can t speak ░░░░░░░░ everyone but for me ░░░░░░░░ agnostic going into that ░░░░░░░░ and I m a ░░░░░░░░ believer in God now ░░░░░░░░ there s no way ░░░░░░░░ you know all that ░░░░░░░░ and that I made ░░░░░░░░ and I m blessed ░░░░░░░░ to to still be ░░░░░░░░ alive talking to you ░░░░░░░░ BERMAN We heard stories ░░░░░░░░ people in and around ░░░░░░░░ saying that despite the ░░░░░░░░ we have seen and ░░░░░░░░ have seen horrific video ░░░░░░░░ the incident and the ░░░░░░░░ that despite that chaos ░░░░░░░░ were doing whatever they ░░░░░░░░ to help whoever they ░░░░░░░░ Did you see that ░░░░░░░░ you tried to get ░░░░░░░░ to safety BENGE I ░░░░░░░░ see a cop and ░░░░░░░░ hope he s you ░░░░░░░░ OK right now He ░░░░░░░░ an assault rifle in ░░░░░░░░ hand and I did ░░░░░░░░ him take cover and ░░░░░░░░ to aim back to ░░░░░░░░ where the bullets were ░░░░░░░░ from He must have ░░░░░░░░ 200 300 500 rounds ░░░░░░░░ the crowd from I ░░░░░░░░ it was the 32nd ░░░░░░░░ of the Mandalay Bay ░░░░░░░░ what I was told ░░░░░░░░ heard But just in ░░░░░░░░ of everything I saw ░░░░░░░░ bunch of people trying ░░░░░░░░ help Unfortunately I also ░░░░░░░░ a lot of loved ░░░░░░░░ with their significant others ░░░░░░░░ them as they passed ░░░░░░░░ unfortunate things like that ░░░░░░░░ a lot of it ░░░░░░░░ you know people tried ░░░░░░░░ help everyone And even ░░░░░░░░ to get to my ░░░░░░░░ since it was kind ░░░░░░░░ far I hopped in ░░░░░░░░ back of some guy ░░░░░░░░ pickup truck And he ░░░░░░░░ and gave me a ░░░░░░░░ to just hop in ░░░░░░░░ back But I believe ░░░░░░░░ went to the hospital ░░░░░░░░ one of them got ░░░░░░░░ There was a lot ░░░░░░░░ people out there helping ░░░░░░░░ Metro and SWAT wnd ░░░░░░░░ of them BERMAN Taylor ░░░░░░░░ we re glad that ░░░░░░░░ made it.”