Calgarian describes leaving Las Vegas music festival before mass shooting: ‘we were pretty lucky’

A Calgarian who was in Las Vegas when a lone gunman opened fire at an outdoor music festival on Sunday night says he and his girlfriend had just left the show when the violence began.

Steve Chwyl moved to Calgary from Edmonton a few months ago. He and his girlfriend Lauren flew to Las Vegas on Thursday to attend the three-day Route 91 Harvest Festival.

While visiting, the pair made friends with a group of people from California who also had tickets for the country music concert series and began meeting them at the festival grounds every evening.

On Sunday, Chwyl and his girlfriend watched Jake Owen and Jason Aldean perform, before heading back to their hotel. It was as Aldean was performing that the gunman opened fire from a 32nd-floor hotel room.

WATCH: Video captures moment gunfire interrupts outdoor concert

0:25 Las Vegas shooting: Video captures moment gunfire interrupts outdoor concert

“We actually had left just before the shooting had started,” he said.

Chwyl said the pair’s new-found friends, who had been standing beside them during the concert, hadn’t yet left.

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“The guy beside us was shot in the femur and a couple other people that were around us were shot in the arm and one was grazed.”

“We were pretty lucky that we had just left that spot where we were standing.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "We were pretty lucky that we had just left that spot where we were standing."

Chwyl said he and his girlfriend didn’t learn about the horrific events at the festival until they woke up this morning to dozens of missed calls and texts from friends and family members.

Chwyl and his girlfriend will fly home from Las Vegas on Monday afternoon.

WATCH:It was a terrifying night for a group of Calgary women in Las Vegas. They were out for dinner when they were told the shooter was around the corner. Tracy Nagai reports.

1:48 ‘It was surreal’: Calgarians describe chaos in Las Vegas

On Monday, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley issued a statement on the shooting, calling it a “horrifying attack.”

“Albertans join the United States, Canada and the world in mourning those killed,” she said.

“Our thoughts also are with the police, first responders and always the brave citizens who rushed to aid the victims.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "Our thoughts also are with the police, first responders and always the brave citizens who rushed to aid the victims."

“The people of Alberta join the world in hoping for the rapid and complete recovery of everyone who was wounded and traumatized. We stand with you in renewed vigilance against violence.”