'Survival mode' kicked in after Las Vegas shooting Chicago
Trent Koland
First responder needed  a hug
Trent Koland  36  who works in Chicago   was having a drink with  his  sister and  her  fiance at the Luxor hotel  which is close to Mandalay Bay  when they noticed groups of people running through the lobby.
Casino staff at first calmly told patrons they would need to move to a different bar. But within seconds  staff instead told  Koland  and other bar patrons they were being relocated to basement tunnels with break rooms and hallways usually used only by staff.
"I thought it was a joke at first " said  Koland   senior art director at Edelman in Chicago  who was in Las Vegas with family celebrating his parents' 40th wedding anniversary. "It was crazy  so they moved us into this break room and we were watching the TV."
Koland and dozens of other tourists taking shelter watched in horror as news accounts on the TV reported a growing number of victims. As more people from outside joined them in the waiting area   Koland  said  he  comforted one woman who was distraught about what  she  had seen.
"There was a woman and she needed a hug  so I just went over there and gave her a hug. She said she was a first responder  and she was ashamed that she didn't do more  " Koland  said by telephone  breaking down into tears at the thought.
 Koland  estimates that  he  and other patrons were moved to the tunnels about 10 p.m.  and were not released to go back outside until 4 a.m. Monday. During that time   he  and others stranded checked social media on their phones and frantically kept up with friends and family to let them know they were safe. Hotel staff brought refreshments and bedsheets so they could lie on the floors of the hallways as they waited   he  said.
"We were just lying in a hallway with other people that didn't know what was going on  " Koland  said  adding that some were worried about friends who were at the concert and had not been accounted for. "We had phone service  I was trying to update my Facebook letting people know I was OK."
[TGT] 
was having a drink with   [TGT]   sister and   [TGT]   fiance at the Luxor hotel  which is close to Mandalay Bay  when they noticed groups of people running through the lobby.
Casino staff at first calmly told patrons they would need to move to a different bar. But within seconds  staff instead told  Koland  and other bar patrons they were being relocated to basement tunnels with break rooms and hallways usually used only by staff.
"I thought it was a joke at first " said  Koland   senior art director at Edelman in Chicago  who was in Las Vegas with family celebrating his parents' 40th wedding anniversary. "It was crazy  so they moved us into this break room and we were watching the TV."
Koland and dozens of other tourists taking shelter watched in horror as news accounts on the TV reported a growing number of victims. As more people from outside joined them in the waiting area   Koland  said  he  comforted one woman who was distraught about what  she  had seen.
"There was a woman and she needed a hug  so I just went over there and gave her a hug. She said she was a first responder  and she was ashamed that she didn't do more  " Koland  said by telephone  breaking down into tears at the thought.
 Koland  estimates that  he  and other patrons were moved to the tunnels about 10 p.m.  and were not released to go back outside until 4 a.m. Monday. During that time   he  and others stranded checked social media on their phones and frantically kept up with friends and family to let them know they were safe. Hotel staff brought refreshments and bedsheets so they could lie on the floors of the hallways as they waited   he  said.
"We were just lying in a hallway with other people that didn't know what was going on  " Koland  said  adding that some were worried about friends who were at the concert and had not been accounted for. "We had phone service  I was trying to update my Facebook letting people know I was OK."