VISALIA, Calif. (KMPH) -- A Visalia man is sharing his story exclusively with FOX26 after finding himself unexpectedly close to the deadly attack at Australia's Bondi Beach.
Gilbert Cano, a Visalia native and special projects technician for the Visalia Unified School District Transportation Department, traveled to Australia on Sunday, December 14, to see his favorite band: AC/DC.
His love for AC/DC led him to book a stay at Hotel Bondi: located directly across the road from the iconic Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia.
The concert took place in Brisbane, about an hour-and-a-half flight from Sydney. While Cano was at the show, the mass shooting unfolded at Bondi Beach, where a Hanukkah celebration was being held.
Cano said he did not understand the full scope of the attack until after the concert, when he made his way back to his hotel.
"At first, I thought it was maybe an isolated incident," Cano said. "But then the numbers kept going up, and that's when I realized how serious it was."
Cano flew into Sydney around 4 a.m. local time, arriving approximately six to seven hours after the attack. He later learned his hotel was just 200 feet from where the gunmen opened fire.
My hotel was maybe 100 yards away from the shooting -- maybe even less," Cano said. "From my balcony, you could see where it happened.
Cano said the timing of the concert likely kept him from being at the scene when the shooting occurred.
"The only reason I wasn't here when this happened was because the concert was that night," he said. "If it had been the night before, I would've already been here, walking through those shops."
After checking in, Cano said hotel staff described the chaos that unfolded during the attack, including people running for cover and hiding inside nearby businesses:
They told me about people diving for cover, running into kitchens and freezers," he said. "There was sheer panic.
The attack left Sydney in mourning. Cano says businesses and Christmas markets closed, and Bondi Beach, a beach typically filled with tourists, was eerily quiet.
"It was a beautiful day, but the beach was just empty," Cano said.
Cano shared a video with FOX26 showing a prayer service held at the Bondi Beach Pavilion, where hundreds gathered to pray, pay their respects, and honor the 16 people killed in the attack.
He also left flowers at the memorial, writing a message on behalf of Visalia and California's Central Valley.
"I wanted them to know that even from thousands of miles away, people care," Cano said.
Now preparing to return home, Cano says the experience has left a lasting impact.
"Anytime you're that close to something like this, it changes you."