Wedding anniversary turns to horror for Waihi couple celebrating in Las Vegas

Jean and Mat Holmes, of Hawke's Bay, were horrified to learn of the shooting while watching TV last night.

Their daughter, Rosemarie, and husband, Adrian Park, were holidaying with friends from Waihi in Las Vegas.

Jean Holmes said her daughter is traumatised, as she was standing opposite the Mandalay listening to the concert when the shooting happened. The sight of injured people being stretchered past her were too much, she said.

"The last I heard Rosemarie was very, very upset because of what she saw."

She said police surrounded them and put them into groups.

"Each group was guided by a policeman and they moved them slowly from building to building and they weren't allowed to separate."

She said Rosemarie and Adrian were worried they would miss their scheduled 5am flight to Florida, but they got to the airport on time.

Holmes said it wouldn't put the couple off travelling to Las Vegas after they got married there five years ago.

"They go there every year for their wedding anniversary. It won't put them off. It wouldn't put me off, either, it's a wonderful place. This is just such a terrible thing to have happened."