A man and woman who met just hours before escaping the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history have since gotten married.
Austin Monfort, 24, first laid eyes on Chantal Melanson, 29, at a popular Las Vegas country bar in the wee hours of September 30, 2017.
"We were at a country bar and a country festival and he had Vans on," Melanson said."I thought it was so funny he wasn't wearing cowboy boots."The pair began chatting and realized they were both in town for the Route 91 Harvest, a three-night event on the Las Vegas Strip that features country music heavyweights and up-and-coming artists.
Chantal Melanson and Austin Monfort are pictured together at an event for country music fans at Waterfront Park in San Diego, Oct. 20, 2019. But the fun quickly turned to panic. Aldean's performance was cut short when 64-year-old Stephen Paddock begandown on concertgoers from the 32nd floor of the nearby Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Monfort recalled the moment he realized the popping sound wasn't fireworks.
Monfort took Melanson's hand again after another pause in the shooting and the pair sprinted across an open area of the festival grounds until they reached the entrance and jumped into a taxi cab with another woman. Just as they were about to roll out, they saw a victim shot in the stomach and leg limping towards the car.
After spending the night in the hospital, the survivors grabbed breakfast before Monfort had to drive home to San Diego. Melanson lived in Canada at the time and didn't think their relationship could manage the distance, that is until Monfort demonstrated his commitment.
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