A GLASGOW couple have described the major security efforts in Las Vegas following the massacre Sunday night.
Evening Times journalist Stuart Sandler and his wife Linsey were preparing to board their flight to the entertainment capital when the news of the shooting broke.
When they left Glasgow, the pair had no clue that 59 people had been killed, and more than 500 injured by the crazed pensioner Stephen Paddock, when he opened fire on an open-air festival from his 32nd floor room at the Mandalay Bay hotel.
Luminaries for victims of the the Sunday evening shooting tragedy in Las Vegas are lit on the front steps of Greene Memorial United Methodist Church
Stuart, described the chaos when he arrived in Vegas, and the concern of fellow passengers as they discovered the news mid-flight.
He said: "We weren't sure if the plane would go ahead, we knew two people had been killed when we took off and we didn't know what had happened.
" Some others on the flight were saying they weren't sure if it was a good idea to go, or what we would arrive to.
"The pilot told us a few hours into the journey that our hotels may have a few problems because of a police incident, but it wasn't until we landed and got into a taxi that the driver explained more than 50 people were killed, and the guy was found with loads of guns."
Stuart's hotel is a mile away from that where the gunman was hiding out before his attack.
He said the venue had been closed off, and there was a strong police presence all along the Las Vegas strip, which is usually packed full of revellers and tourists.
As he arrived at his accommodation, signs displayed around the venue offered grief counselling for those affected by the killings, and guests were advised that housekeeping staff were limited as they were helping at the Mandalay Bay.
Signs across the city also paid tribute and showed solidarity for those killed and injured.
Stuart, who has been to Vegas a number of times, said: "They have set up tables outside the hotels and are searching people's suitcases, which is something that wouldn't normally happen.
"Things are a bit more sombre than they have been when we've visited before, and there are definitely a lot more police around."
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