Meghan King Edmonds Says Her Stepdaughter Is Suffering from PTSD After Surviving Las Vegas Mass Shooting

Natalie Stone
Updated

Meghan King Edmonds says her stepdaughter is suffering from PTSD after surviving the Las Vegas mass shooting.

“She’s not good, as you can imagine,” Meghan, 33, told Entertainment Tonight of her stepdaughter, Hayley Edmonds, who attended the Route 91 Harvest Festival on Oct.1 when gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire and killed 58 attendees.

“She has some PTSD and I think probably everybody [who was] there does. It’s the deadliest mass shooting in American history. It’s horrible,” Meghan added.

“She was so lucky to come out totally unscathed, physically, but the emotional and mental healing process will go on for years and years,” the former Real Housewives of Orange County star shared. “We’re just so thankful that she just ran. She just ran and ran and ran and didn’t stop running. Her roommate actually grabbed her, and was like, ‘No, let’s go,’ ’cause Hayley wanted to lay down, but her roommate was like, ‘No, we’ve got to keep going.'”

According to Meghan, Hayley “sought out group therapy” following the massacre, which is the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. “She said it went really well and she’s trucking ahead in life and moving on. I’m really proud of her. She’s growing up.”

A day after the terrifying attack, Hayley, whose father Jim Edmonds is married to Meghan, took to Instagram to reflect on the moment she escaped the shooting.

“These pictures were taken 6 minutes before the shooting started. I am so unbelievably saddened by this event. You truly never understand until it happens to you and the people you love. I have no words for how traumatizing this experience was for me, my friends and my family. I’ll never forget this night unfortunately, but I am so thankful how lucky and fortunate we were to have made it out of there. I’ve never felt such a feeling as I did knowing I had to run to save my own life. My best friend and I ran while everyone else ducked for cover and we didn’t look back. I think that’s why we are here right now, alive,” Hayley wrote on Instagram Oct. 2.

These pictures were taken 6 minutes before the shooting started. I am so unbelievably saddened by this event. You truly never understand until it happens to you and the people you love. I have no words for how traumatizing this experience was for me, my friends and my family. I'll never forget this night unfortunately, but I am so thankful how lucky and fortunate we were to have made it out of there. I've never felt such a feeling as I did knowing I had to run to save my own life. My best friend and I ran while everyone else ducked for cover and we didn't look back. I think that's why we are here right now, alive. We didn't think we just ran and stayed together. I hope I never have to experience such a traumatic moment ever again. The world is a cruel place and I don't even know how to comment on such an unbelievable tragedy. I am so thankful that every single person I knew is home safe and sound now and feel such guilt and sadness for the people who are suffering. I can't help but think my mom was watching over us last night. I have no other explanation for all of us making it out of there alive. I love you all and I am safe and sound with my sister and brother and law tonight who are keeping me company. Wishing nothing but good thoughts for the people who were affected?? #prayforvegas #route91harvest

A post shared by Hayley Edmonds? (@hayleyedmonds15) on Oct 2, 2017 at 10:31pm PDT

The shooting occurred on the final day of the three-day music festival as singer Jason Aldean was performing.

Aldean was able to make it off the stage uninjured, but over five dozen attendees were killed as Paddock fired down from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Casino and Resort. Paddock later took his own life.

Exactly one week after he performed at the Vegas festival, Aldean returned to Las Vegas with his pregnant wife Brittany Kerr Aldean and the couple visited with hospitalized survivors of the shooting.

The day before the Aldeans returned to Vegas, the country singer opened the Gal Gadot-hosted episode of Saturday Night Live by paying tribute to the victims of the mass shooting, as well as the late music legend Tom Petty.

“Like everyone, I’m struggling to understand what happened that night, and how to pick up the pieces and start to heal,” Aldean said before performing Petty’s 1989 hit “I Won’t Back Down.”

“So many people are hurting. There are children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends — they’re all part of our family. So I want to say to them: We hurt for you, and we hurt with you,” he continued. “When America is at its best, our bond and our spirit, it’s unbreakable.”