Las Vegas shooting 'hitting very close to home' for Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando awoke to the news Monday that it no longer bears the horrible title of home to the "worst mass shooting in U.S. history" after a lone gunman opened fire on a Las Vegas crowd of 30,000 killing at least 59 and injuring hundreds of others.

The gunman, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, who killed at least 50 people shot himself before officers entered his Mandalay Bay hotel room, according to Las Vegas police.

The gunman's brother, Eric Paddock, of Orlando, told News 6 "there is nothing" he knows of that could have caused his brother to do something so horrible.

The owner of the Pulse nightclub, Barbara Poma, and the onePULSE Foundation were among those to issue statements of condolences and shock Monday morning after hearing the news.

“Finding words to convey the depth of horror we are all witnessing in Las Vegas is just impossible," Poma said. "It is unimaginable that another mass shooting of even greater scope than that of Pulse nightclub could occur again in this country, but indeed, it has.”

The Foundation tweeted a reminder to donate blood, because like after the June 12 shooting in Orlando mass donations were needed as wounded were treated at local hospitals. With more than 400 at Las Vegas hospitals, the need will be even greater.

Orlando offers expertise on mass shooting response to Las Vegas

"It is our unique responsibility to help them with the information we have," Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said during a news conference Monday.

Dyer said Orlando has offered help to Las Vegas officials in the form of knowledge and personnel to set up a family and victim assistance center for the concert shooting victims.

“Unfortunately, we have gained some expertise in what is required of the victims assistance Center and family assistance center and notification of next of kin in a situation like this,” Dyer said. “We have offered that if they would like any of our personnel that participated in the aftermath activates to fly out and assist them we are certainly willing to put them on the next plane available.”

Dyer said he considered Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman a good friend and personally reached out to her to offer help.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina said law enforcement in Las Vegas had previously heard their presentation about the Orlando Police Department's response to the June 12 mass shooting at Pulse nightclub.

Mina has shown the 78-slide PowerPoint presentation to police groups across the globe, analyzing what the agency did well and what could have been done differently.

"I hope that our lessons learned did help them save lives," Mina said. "That they learned from what we experienced here."

Mina applauded Las Vegas officers response. They had a "very difficult, complex" situation to respond to because of the shooter's elevated position inside a nearby hotel, 32 stories up, Mina said.

Mina also issued a statement, after hearing that an off-duty Las Vegas police officer was killed in the shooting.

“We are thinking of all those affected by the horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas,” Mina said. “This community, and the men women of OPD, know all too well the anguish that is gripping the residents, visitors and law enforcement community in Las Vegas.”

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings and Mina both encouraged people to come forward if they see something out of the ordinary.

"We encourage citizens to continue providing information to law enforcement about suspicious persons prone to violence," Demings said. "We are only as good at stopping such attacks as the information that we receive from the public."

Shooting 'hitting close to home' for Central Florida

Dyer said waking to the news of the tragedy brought him back to Orlando's own horrific event just more than a year ago.

"There is no doubt that the Las Vegas tragedy will impact those in Orlando impacted by Pulse," Dyer said.

The mayor said, just like when the Pulse shooting death toll doubled, he was taken aback when the Route 91 Harvest festival fatality number jumped from 20 dead to more than 50.

"It did take me right back there," to Pulse, Dyer said.

Dyer reminded Central Florida that the Orlando United Assistance Center hotline, at 407-500-HOPE is open 24 hours a day if they need someone to talk to.

"This is hitting very close to home for many in Central Florida. We know what it’s like to endure such tragedy, and it’s at this time it’s important to remember that support is available," Orlando United Assistance Center spokeswoman Ashley Blasewitz said.

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs also reacted to the shooting with a statement of solidarity with Las Vegas.

“Stay strong, Las Vegas,” Jacobs said. “We are with you in spirit, prayer and deed throughout your journey. Together with our 49 Pulse Angels we weep for your loss and pray for your strength.”

'Get involved,' ORMC officials advocate for blood donations, first responder classes

Officials with the Orlando Regional Medical Center, which cared for many of the Pulse shooting victims and survivors, also encouraged blood donations.

"Their biggest need right now, like ours, is blood. Go donate blood," ORMC trauma director Dr. Joseph Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim said he has exchanged a few text messages with Las Vegas trauma surgeons and right now they are just asking for prayers for their patients.

More than 500 people were hurt in the gunfire and ensuing stampede at a Jason Aldean concert, police said.

Ibrahim encouraged people to educate themselves as citizen first responders, by taking classes offered at ORMC every month.

"Get involved, this unfortunately is not a new event," Ibrahim said. "Take classes like Stop the Bleed. We don't want to be just victims anymore."

People can find out more at bleedingcontrol.org.

Since Pulse, ORMC doctors and staff have given dozens of presentations to other trauma units around the country about what they learned from Orlando's mass casualty event.

ORMC manager of emergency preparedness Eric Alberts said since June 12, the hospital found more than 60 areas to improve after their response.

The hospital now has more translators available. Many of the victims' families were from out of the country. ORMC changed the way they stalk their surge carts, they way they conduct emergency drills and are working on a mass notification system for its staff.

Alberts and Ibrahim also stressed that after Monday Las Vegas-area hospitals will be in for a "long drawn out process." He said it's not down to days, but weeks and months.

More patients will arrive in the days to come, Alberts said, including those who didn’t go to hospitals initially because they didn’t think their needs were as important as some of those more critically injured.

"They got a surge of a very large amount of people in a very short time frame," Alberts said. "And it's not going to go away."