Vegas Tourist Films Cute Video, 'Clueless' About Active Shooter Situation

During a recent trip to Las Vegas, a tourist thought she was recording a simple TikTok video of herself, but she had no idea that she was actually capturing the aftermath of an active shooting. Ellen Dundon had planned a special birthday trip to Las Vegas with her dad, John, for several months, and when the time finally came, in December 2023, she couldn't wait to document every moment. On the first day of the vacation, Dundon told Newsweek that she was "taking in the scenery of the Bellagio" and grabbing a coffee, when she heard multiple sirens and a sense of panic started to creep in. As multiple emergency vehicles drove past, Dundon, from Ireland, had no idea she was witnessing the events of an active shooter who killed three people and wounded a fourth at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) on December 6. As Newsweek previously reported, the suspect was named as 67-year-old Tony Polito, who was believed to have applied for a job at UNLV and was unsuccessful. After he opened fire in a campus building at approximately 11:45 a.m., he was later killed during a shootout with university police detectives. When Dundon started recording, the tourist had no idea what was about to unfold, and it became "really overwhelming" as it felt like the entire area came to a standstill.

"I was videoing myself and my dad after getting a coffee on our first day of the trip as we were enjoying the sun," she told Newsweek. "At the time, I didn't realize the seriousness of it until my phone started getting loads of notifications. My mom even heard it on the news back home. "We started to get a bit panicked, and I barely slept for the rest of the trip, I just wanted to get home. Watching the video back feels weird it's odd how close we were to something so fatal." The day of the shooting also marked the 11^th annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence, which is hosted by the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation (NAAF). The event has been hosted annually since the mass shooting at Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on December 14, 2012. The NAAF estimated that, by December 2023, over 1.1 million Americans would have been killed or wounded by guns since the Sandy Hook shooting. According to data from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which was founded by Republican and gunshot survivor Jim Brady, 117,345 people are shot in the U.S. every year, amounting to around 327 people a day. This comes after CNN reported on the warnings that various countries are giving their citizens whenever they visit the U.S. The report highlights that they aren't discouraging people from visiting, but they urge them to take precautions.

How Did TikTok React?

Several weeks later, when Dundon realized what happened on the vacation, she shared the video from that day on her TikTok account (@ellendundon). She jested about "being the definition of clueless Irish tourist" while the shooting was unfolding nearby. Since it was posted on February 26, the video has gone viral with more than 819,700 views and over 87,800 likes on TikTok. She told Newsweek: "The social media reaction has been crazy, I've heard from so many people who have experienced similar, not only in Vegas but around the world. For once, it made me grateful to live on this peaceful little island." Many TikTok users have shared their horror by commenting on the post. One comment reads: "My constant fear when i visited LA and Vegas." Another person wrote: "This happened to me in Vegas. Was trying to cash in my winnings and was wondering why everyone was running." While another TikToker responded: "This happened to me in New York. Unknown to me, there was 6 shootings in Manhattan, not too far from when I was staying the 5 days I was there." Is there an issue that's worrying you? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.