Tampa Bay area residents who were in Las Vegas during the deadly shooting shared firsthand accounts of their experiences after flying into Tampa International Airport on Monday.

"It was surreal that I was in the area when it happened," said Angelina Mandanici, who said she went to Las Vegas to visit her boyfriend, who was on a business trip there. "I was almost at the area that it happened at, but decided to just go back to my hotel after dinner."

More than 50 people were killed and hundreds injured when Stephen Paddock, 64, opened fire from a room at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, aiming at people attending the county music festival Route 91.

"My phone started blowing up at 3:30 in the morning because our family from here was saying "Just let us know you're ok," said Michelle Cozzolino.

Following the shooting, McCarran International Airport temporarily suspended operations. Some flights were diverted and others were delayed.

The airport is close to the Mandalay property and people said they saw people fleeing the scene and running to the airport. Portions of the Las Vegas strip also closed down.

"We were at the Bellagio, which is just a couple of hotels down from Mandalay, and it was just, there was no activity, nothing, just police cars," said Cozzolino.

Once they were able to board their flight for Tampa, passengers said the atmosphere was somber.

"A lot of people at the airport were very subdued," said Joe Lese of Homosassa. "I don't know how many people on the plane were affected, but I ran into people who were hit really hard, you could just tell."

Sunny Lane and Jeremy Johnson are entertainers who live in Las Vegas and traveled to Tampa for business. They said they are heartbroken.

"I'm not really sure how to process this yet," said Johnson.

"Yeah, I didn't sleep. I haven't slept at all, I'm sweating and shaking, it's awful," said Lane.

They said they are still waiting on word about friends who work on the Strip.

Tampa area residents said they are grateful to be home.

"My girlfriend is waiting, I just got here and she can't wait to see me," said Lese.