A group of about a dozen current or former Grays Harborites was among the 20,000 people watching Jason Aldean perform at the Route 91 Harvest Festival near Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas Sunday when 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire from his 32nd floor hotel room, killing more than 50 and wounding more than 500 before taking his own life.

Fortunately, this group was able to escape safely and uninjured.

“My best friend, her husband and niece were there, as well as other friends,” said Jennifer Durney, operations manager at Durney Insurance in Hoquiam. “Everyone from Grays Harbor (among Durney’s acquaintances) who was down there is fine.”

Franzine Potts, Executive Director of the Aberdeen YMCA, was there, along with her husband Eric who is executive director of the Grays Harbor Community Foundation, and another relative. Another friend of Durney’s had left the concert a little early to return to her room at the Mandalay Bay.

“She was 16 floors below the shooter and could see the gunfire and his broken windows,” said Durney. “Just awful.”

Potts took to her Facebook page Monday morning to assure concerned friends and family that she and her husband were OK. She had been unable to respond earlier because as she and her party escaped the gunfire she had left her phone behind.

“Thankfully, others around me were kind enough to allow me to call Eric when we were separated,” wrote Potts. “This was an experience I never thought I would live to witness but what we experienced is nothing compared to the loss of many. Please pray for all of those suffering.”

It has been a tradition for the past three years for Durney, who is also running for an Aberdeen School Board seat, and several local friends to travel to Las Vegas for the annual music festival. This year, Durney was unable to make the trip, but her friends did.

“Everyone is OK and some are flying back (Monday),” said Durney. “I was supposed to be there, but wasn’t. It was a very scary thing for them to go through.”