LITTLE ROCK (KFSM)- Little Rock native, Cruz Williams remembers what he calls a "horrific" night that left 28 people injured after a mass shooting at Power Ultra Lounge in downtown Little Rock.
"It was so chaotic, it was so devastating," Williams said.
When Williams first heard the gunshots at Power Ultra Lounge, he said he instantly dropped to the ground.
"The first group of shots, I was in disbelief," Williams said. "I was like, 'what am I doing here? I need to be at home with my two sons.' All you hear is rounds letting off. It was getting closer and closer to where we were."
Williams said he and about seven others huddled together on the ground waiting for the shots to end.
"It was just people trying to flee, people trying to save themselves and just trampling over one another," said Williams.
He said there were a few seconds when the gunfire stopped and that is when he and the others were able to run downstairs to safety.
"I just remember looking up and people diving out the windows, breaking the windows trying to save themselves," Williams said.
Jaid Taylor, a Little Rock promoter and entertainer has been hosting events around town and at Power for many years, but said nothing like this has ever happened before.
"It hurts me because I've been doing it for so long and for me to actually be able to see this, read the paper, read the news and articles ... it's like this actually happened somewhere where I used to work and host events there," Taylor said. "[I] never had a problem, never had an issue."
Taylor said, in his opinion, it goes back to the continued violence in the city and changes he's seen over the years.
"Now, you see kids getting praised for it; praised for holding a gun in a picture, praised for holding up gangs signs," Taylor said. "It's just a lot of different things now that are okay and accepted, whereas, 10 years ago, they were not."
Williams reflects on the moments he first entered the club and said security was not strict.
"How do you not card people at the door?" Williams asked. "How do you not give a decent pat down? I didn't get a decent pat down and they weren't carding anyone."
Now, both men said they hope for change in the city they call home and hope no one has to experience a tragedy like this again.
"All those bullets," Williams said. "Everything could have been worse. I'm so thankful to be alive right now and thankful that the survivors are still here."
Taylor said for events he has hosted at Power, it was his responsibility to hire security and officers for the event.
The victims of the shooting range in age from 16 to mid 30's. Police said the victims were treated at local hospitals and at this time, everyone is expected to survive.
Little Rock police said in a press conference on Saturday (July 1) that they do believe the shooting could be connected to recent shootings in the city.