He was there to photograph a concert. It turned into a massacre
David Becker
Photographer David Becker  was covering the music festival for Getty Images when the shooting began late Sunday night.  His  photos from the scene show the frantic and bloody aftermath.
âPeople were fleeing  they were panicking â  he  said. âThe gunfire was sporadic. It would stop and then more shots  then a lull and then more shots. I could hear people yelling at them to shut off the lights  to be quiet.
For a while   Becker  didnât even know the popping sounds were gunfire.  He  thought at first they were firecrackers or bad speakers at the Jason Aldean concert.
âThen I started looking at my photographs  and what I was seeing was just unbelievable â  he  said. âIt had been so dark outside I couldnât see the details. I just saw a lot of people laying on the ground thinking they were playing possum  but now I could see people covered in blood and I thought  âThis is real.â When I saw the image of the woman lying on the ground covered in blood  that was when the impact of what I was experiencing hit â when I realized people were dying.â
A man lays on top of a woman  shielding her from gunfire as others flee the festival grounds.  Becker  reported that they later got up and ran away.
People run from the festival grounds. âOnce the crowd started to flee I went outside and saw a lot of people panicking and running for the exit that was right by the media tent â  Becker  said. âI grabbed my camera and went back outside and found a place where I could see what was happening and also wouldnât be in the way of people  so I stood on a table and started to shoot â thinking to  myself  still that this isnât really happening  itâs just the speakers popping.â
People are seen on the ground after the gunman opened fire. âIt was so dark I couldnât really see what was happening â  Becker  said. âThere were a lot of people crying  speaking on cell phones and ducking for cover. As the crowd thinned out  I was able to go a little closer to try and see what was going on and take some more pictures.â
Concertgoers help an injured person at the scene. âIâve been doing this work for many years  and it is instinct to photograph first and ask questions later â  Becker  said. âIt probably seems irrational to just walk out and take pictures of people running for cover  but that is second nature for a photojournalist.â
Broken windows are seen at the Mandalay Bay on Monday morning. The shooter was firing from the 32nd floor  police said. âWhen I stop and think  itâs hard to comprehend what I witnessed â  Becker  said. âI was on autopilot  just doing my job capturing what was happening  which I think is important. Impactful images like these tell a story. They move people to think twice about doing anything like this  they move governments to change policies to prevent horrific acts like these happening again.â
[TGT] was covering the music festival for Getty Images when the shooting began late Sunday night.   [TGT]   photos from the scene show the frantic and bloody aftermath.
âPeople were fleeing  they were panicking â   [TGT]   said. âThe gunfire was sporadic. It would stop and then more shots  then a lull and then more shots. I could hear people yelling at them to shut off the lights  to be quiet.
For a while   Becker  didnât even know the popping sounds were gunfire.  He  thought at first they were firecrackers or bad speakers at the Jason Aldean concert.
âThen I started looking at my photographs  and what I was seeing was just unbelievable â  he  said. âIt had been so dark outside I couldnât see the details. I just saw a lot of people laying on the ground thinking they were playing possum  but now I could see people covered in blood and I thought  âThis is real.â When I saw the image of the woman lying on the ground covered in blood  that was when the impact of what I was experiencing hit â when I realized people were dying.â
A man lays on top of a woman  shielding her from gunfire as others flee the festival grounds.  Becker  reported that they later got up and ran away.
People run from the festival grounds. âOnce the crowd started to flee I went outside and saw a lot of people panicking and running for the exit that was right by the media tent â  Becker  said. âI grabbed my camera and went back outside and found a place where I could see what was happening and also wouldnât be in the way of people  so I stood on a table and started to shoot â thinking to  myself  still that this isnât really happening  itâs just the speakers popping.â
People are seen on the ground after the gunman opened fire. âIt was so dark I couldnât really see what was happening â  Becker  said. âThere were a lot of people crying  speaking on cell phones and ducking for cover. As the crowd thinned out  I was able to go a little closer to try and see what was going on and take some more pictures.â
Concertgoers help an injured person at the scene. âIâve been doing this work for many years  and it is instinct to photograph first and ask questions later â  Becker  said. âIt probably seems irrational to just walk out and take pictures of people running for cover  but that is second nature for a photojournalist.â
Broken windows are seen at the Mandalay Bay on Monday morning. The shooter was firing from the 32nd floor  police said. âWhen I stop and think  itâs hard to comprehend what I witnessed â  Becker  said. âI was on autopilot  just doing my job capturing what was happening  which I think is important. Impactful images like these tell a story. They move people to think twice about doing anything like this  they move governments to change policies to prevent horrific acts like these happening again.â