LAS VEGAS, NV – A former CHANNEL 5 NEWS reporter currently working in Las Vegas shared his firsthand account of covering what is being considered the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

At last count, Las Vegas police said at least 58 people died and more than 500 injured.

Rio Grande Valley native Tony Castelan works for a Las Vegas NBC affiliate. He’s been covering the shooting since it first broke Sunday night.

At about 10:30 p.m., Castelan said he got a call from a friend saying shots were fired near the Mandalay Bay Resort.

Castelan said he immediately made his way to the strip. His assignment consisted of reporting from the scene of an area hospital where wounded victims were being treated. 

He told us he witnessed a terrifying scene.

“That’s the spot where I was at all night long, seeing the dead bodies being put into a funeral van as family members came by to pay their respects already,” he said.

Castelan also said some of his friends were among the wounded. He said their conditions are unknown.  

“It’s been tough. It’s been tough, and friends have been hurt. It keeps on going. When you hear about your friends getting wounded and stuff, it really hits home,” he said.

Castelan said people in Las Vegas and across the U.S. are making desperate attempts to reach their loved ones.

In response, authorities in Las Vegas have set up a toll-free number for people who have loved ones in Las Vegas and have not heard from them since the shooting. The number to call is 1-866-535-5654.

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