Meghan King Edmonds says her stepdaughter Hayley Edmonds is struggling with PTSD following the Las Vegas shooting. The Real Housewives of Orange County star opened up about how Hayley survived the tragedy in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight.
“She’s not good, as you can imagine,” King told the outlet on Monday, October 16. “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.”
“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 33-year-old continued. “But 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 Haley wanted to lay down, but her roommate was like, ‘No, we’ve got to keep going.'”
The reality star, who is married to Jim Edmonds, revealed that Hayley is seeking help to deal with the aftermath of the traumatic event. “I’m really proud of her because I think she’s been through a lot in the last couple of years. And a lot of times, it’s easier for people just to retreat into their emotions, rather than to feel them and express them,” she said. “Haley’s doing great with this. She sought out group therapy. 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.”
As previously reported, a gunman opened fire on a crowd of more than 22,000 festival attendees on Sunday, October 1, killing 59 people and injuring more than 500 others. The suspect, retired accountant Stephen Paddock, was later found dead of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
Two days later, Edmonds shared photos that were taken just six minutes prior to the attack. “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,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “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 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.”
Both Meghan and Jim took to Instagram at the time and confirmed they had gotten a phone call from Hayley after the attack and expressed how grateful they were to learn that she was safe.
“My little girl survived the scariest movement imaginable in Vegas last night. Actually running for her life,” the former baseball player wrote on October 2. “We got that phone in the middle of the night you don’t want to get as a parent. Thank god she is ok.”
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