Exclusive video shows crowd rush for cover inside nightclub during Orlando shooting: 'They were terrified'
ORLANDO, Fla. - New exclusive video shows the chaos in downtown Orlando in the moments after Friday's mass shooting.
People ran for open doors and found refuge inside La Rosa on Orange Avenue. The club was just down the street from where suspect Jaylen Edgar, 17, was ultimately arrested.
"I heard gunshots," security guard Brandon Thomas said. "Then I saw a body hit the ground."
Video shows crowd rush for cover inside nightclub
New exclusive video shows the chaos in downtown Orlando in the moments after Friday's mass shooting. People ran for open doors and found refuge inside La Rosa on Orange Avenue. The club was just down the street from where suspect Jaylen Edgar, 17, was ultimately arrested.
Surveillance video from La Rosa shows Thomas outside the front door as people wait to enter. Then the shots grabbed his attention.
"I’m not going to lie to you, it was nerve wracking, but then at the end of the day I realized there are people that need help," Thomas said.
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Another angle shows the crush of people once instincts kicked in. Some of them knocked to the ground and were only able to get up once the first wave cleared.
Inside the club, Justin Kihano, co-owner, said people hid behind the bar or laid down on the floor.
"They were terrified, but I made sure to walk around the room to make sure everyone was calm," Kihano said.
Kihano said the club sheltered people for about 10 minutes before communicating with police to make sure it was safe to let people out the back door.
He added that the Halloween crowd was the biggest of the year.
Edgar has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder and could potentially be charged as an adult, officials said.
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