Pierce County Det. Ed Troyer Witnessed Las Vegas Shooting Aftermath

TACOMA, WA - Pierce County Sheriff's Det. Ed Troyer was among the thousands to witness the horrific aftermath of the mass shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday. Troyer was in Las Vegas attending a conference and was leaving a different concert when he saw people running in his direction, according to reports.

Troyer moved toward the scene and assisted local police by guarding a patrol car. Troyer told KING 5 it's best to let emergency responders work during such a crisis rather than have members of the public run toward the scene.

“I saw every person in law enforcement ... running towards where the shots were being fired. They abandoned their cars and they took off and they were going to take care of business," he told KING 5.

Troyer was leaving an REO Speedwagon concert nearby when he saw crowds of people fleeing the shooting scene. The shooter, Stephen Paddock, opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival concert from the 32nd story of a nearby hotel. As of Tuesday, 59 people were dead and approximately 527 were recovering from injuries - including several locals.

Troyer is the lead spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff's Office and is executive director of the Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers organization.

File Photo: Det. Ed Troyer at Woodbine Cemetery in Puyallup in February 2012.

Image via Ted S. Warren/Associated Press