SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diegan couple David and Erin Powell share a passion for music and they've been to dozens of concerts around the country, but they had no idea when these pictures were taken that their lives were about to change. Forever.
"Some thought there were fireworks, some thought the speakers were blown we weren't sure really what was going on until we started seeing some people lying on the ground," said David.
It was the final act of the final day of the Route 91 Harvest Music festival in Las Vegas. A gunman positioned in a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel had opened fire on the crowd of roughly 22,000 people. David laid on top of his wife for what felt like an eternity.
"It's doo doo doo, doo doo doo, and then there would be a pause and you'd think it's over, and then it would start up again doo, doo, doo. What we've heard is roughly 100 rounds a minute for 11 minutes," said Erin.
The couple prayed until the gunfire stopped. Ultimately, 60 people were killed, and more than 800 were injured in what became the worst mass shooting in modern history.
"Very grateful to get out, and then life changed after that."
The months that followed were a struggle. Everyday sounds became triggers.
"You have nightmares, you have panic attacks, you can't make sense of things, your memory isn't working very well," said Erin.
"It was the jackhammering going on, and I completely lost it, my conscious mind was saying it's down the street someone is building something, but my unconscious, the traumatized mind just went into complete shock and couldn't breathe and I was down on the ground sobbing," said Erin.
That's when the couple realized they needed help. "You're feeling appropriate emotions that a human being would feel after living through a massacre."
They joined a support group along with dozens of other local survivors. They met weekly at this bar in Mission Valley for months.
"That was super helpful for us, to process, to get back on the horse, to go back to las vegas to go to a concert again."
Now, five years later, the couple is headed back to Vegas to honor those who didn't make it home. They've also gone through intense training to become peer counselors with the Vegas Strong Strong Resiliency Center.
"One of the things that we do encourage other survivors to do is get back out there, to not sequester themselves in their home. But to live a full life, to always remember those who didn't make it, can't live the life that we can."
A life they lead with a greater appreciation.
"Now, I think every day is precious and a gift and we really enjoy being with each other and we recognize and honor each other just a little bit more as we go along," said David.
