Santa Barbara couple injured in Las Vegas mass shooting

A Santa Barbara couple was among the hundreds of people wounded Sunday night in the deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas.

Dr. Brian Mack and his wife, Lara Cerrito Mack, both were struck by the barrage of bullets fired into the crowd at a country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip.

The gunman — identified by Las Vegas police as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada — unleashed the attack on the Route 91 Harvest Festival with automatic weapons from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. He was later found dead in the hotel room, police said.

At least 58 people were killed and more than 500 were injured in the attack, which reportedly lasted about 15 minutes, according to authorities.

Brian Mack, an anesthesiologist affiliated with Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, was critically injured in the attack, according to a Facebook posting by Lara Mack.

“Brian is in ICU (because) he had abdominal surgery due to gunshot wounds, but is doing well considering the situation,” Lara Mack wrote. “He’s a strong guy and just needs to heal and hopefully no complications but so far looks good.”

Lara Mack, a fitness professional at Gold’s Gym and Killer B Fitness in Santa Barbara, was grazed in the head by a bullet.

“I have a guardian angel, because a bullet literally grazed and cut a long gash along my entire top of my head,” she wrote. “Lots of staples and a clean CAT scan and released today.”

Lara described the scene as the attack was unfolding: “Thought that was it for a second then realized it wasn’t and survival mode took over. The acts of heroism I saw last night and all night were so beyond words. So so thankful. I am so grateful to be here.

“Thankful my sister and her husband are also OK, although he was hit in shoulder being the firefighter he is and protecting my sister from harm. He will be OK.

“Traumatizing and just so scary I don’t know what to say.”

Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.

This story was originally published October 2, 2017 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Santa Barbara couple injured in Las Vegas mass shooting."