Retired Las Vegas police officer Joe "Kip" Duffy trained for events like Sunday's mass shooting at a country concert on the Las Vegas Strip, but he was never prepared to feel so helpless as his friends and colleagues responded to the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Duffy, who now lives in Medford, New Jersey, teared up as he spoke over FaceTime with NBC10’s Tracy Davidson after learning that at least one of his former colleagues was killed at the concert.

"I'm retired, sitting at home, drinking a cup of coffee and they're gearing up for combat. It's tough," an emotional Duffy said.

Duffy, a former U.S. Marine and a South Jersey native, spent 15 years on the Las Vegas Metropolitan police force. He spoke to his former partner as the shooting was unfolding during Jason Aldean’s headlining set at the Route 91 Harvest Festival — adjacent to the Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Tropicana resorts.

It was a little after 10 p.m. Pacific time Sunday when Stephen Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, police said. The 64-year-old sprayed a hail of bullets from hundreds of yards away on the crowd of about 22,000 people below.

At least 58 people were killed and more than 500 were injured, police said. Paddock later killed himself.

"It's a very chaotic scene… especially since there’s so many people involved," Duffy, who was woken up by text messages from friends in Las Vegas, said.

"It's our worst nightmare, it's anybody's worst nightmare," he said. "It's something that we always train for."

In the wake of the 1998 Columbine school shooting, Las Vegas police began to regularly train for active shooter situations, Duffy said.

Duffy was part of the department’s Homeland Security Saturation Team for three years. The specialized unit served as first responders to any attack on the strip. Two 25-man teams with heavy gear, medical kits and AR-15 rifles would be on the ready to respond, Duffy said.

"We were very big on trying to be cross-trained medically too…" since fire and EMS personnel couldn't always go in during an active shooting situation, Duffy said.

A husband and father of two young children, Duffy's long history of military and police service has led him to avoid attending events that have large crowds out of fear that events like this shooting could transpire.

"I wish I could be that person drinking the beer... but I'm constantly on guard," Duffy said.

Hotel staff can be the first line of defense when it comes to preventing tragedies like Sunday's mass shooting in Las Vegas, one local expert told NBC10. 

“You can’t be prepared for something like this, but it really comes back to standards,” Christopher Newman, a Philadelphia-based hotel security expert, said. 

Monday, investigators scrambled to unravel what compelled Stephen Paddock to open fire on a country music concert outside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas Sunday night. More than 50 people were killed and hundreds more were injured.

Investigators uncovered 17 firearms in Paddock’s room but hotel staff did not report seeing anything suspicious prior to Sunday’s massacre, Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said.

Paddock checked into his 32nd floor room Thursday, according to investigators. He spent several days gambling in the hotel's casino and interacted several times with hotel staff during his stay. 

The morning after his attack, curtains flapped through two open windows where Paddock opened fire.

As mass shootings and other acts of terrorism become increasingly common, hotel personnel increasingly are serving as the eyes and ears of first responders, Newman said.

It’s a trend in hospitality that has been taking shape in the years since Sept. 11 rattled Americans’ sense of safety.

“Especially now you have to coach front desk agents, bellmen ... that when the guest is leaving you say something like 'Enjoy your evening and stay safe,’” he said.

If a hotel guest responds negatively, staff can try offering them a complimentary beverage or snack. If they continue to act aggressively or negatively, it might be a sign something bigger is at play. 

These kind of interactions serve two purposes: It allows staff to better understand the mood and mindset of a guest, but it also reminds people to be aware of their surroundings. This includes employees and visitors.

“From the pope to President Carter and foreign dignitaries, all of their knowledge goes out the window because they feel like the hotel has them covered,” he said.

"This is exactly why something like this can wreak so much havoc."

Behavioral profiling has become increasingly important in recent years because American hotels do not screen guests’ luggage, Newman said. This kind of screening does not focus on what a guest looks like or where they are from, but instead how they are acting and what kind of luggage they are carrying.

For instance, a guest who reserved a room for several days but did not check any baggage could be a red flag. Also, a guest carrying too many bags for a short stay could be a cause for concern.

Bill Bratton, former New York City Police Commissioner, told MSNBC the fact that the gunman fired his rounds from the hotel indicated a degree of planning.

"Getting a room that would be facing the venue, if that in fact was to be his target; the weaponry quite obviously was capable of traversing the distance of what has been described as about 300 yards, which would indicate a military-style weapon," he said.

But asking for a hotel room facing a certain direction is not, by itself, a sign that crime might be committed. So what other warning signs should staff consider?

A guest who goes more than three days without asking for their room to be cleaned. Most major hotels require staff to enter a guest’s room if too many days have passed since housekeeping was allowed to clean. 

In those situations, the general manager, security personnel and at least one witness hold the right to enter the room without permission.

"A well-trained hotel team always remains calm," Newman said.

Feeling overwhelmed, powerless or even angry as you watch news of another mass shooting, this one in Las Vegas?

Those feelings are normal, even for people who don't have ties to Nevada or anyone there, said a local counselor Monday morning.

But there are ways to handle those emotional reactions. NBC10's Tracy Davidson spoke to a local counselor Monday about what you and those you love can do.

Q: I feel overwhelmed by the news. How do I process this?

A: Each person's reaction to a tragedy is unique to that individual -- and that's OK, said Dana Careless, a counselor from the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (they use that capitalization on purpose).

Some people disconnect and shut off communication while others are active on social media, looking for answers and trying to stay informed. No matter how you deal with tragedy, it is important to take care of yourself. If you start to feel overwhelmed, "take a step back, take a deep breath, and disconnect if you need to," said Careless.

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Q: What things can I do to take care of myself?

A: Self-care is doubly important while we try to cope with trauma. Do what makes you happy or calms you down. Careless runs; some people choose yoga or swimming. Others need quiet time meditating, praying, or listening to music. Careless said journaling can help some people.

Q: What should I do if I start to feel overwhelmed?

A: "It can be really, really easy to get caught up in all the information, to keep clicking and clicking," Careless said. She suggested people focus on staying grounded. Using your five senses can help you settle into the moment, she said; wherever you are, find five things you see, four things you hear, three things you touch, two things you smell, and one thing you taste. Remember to take your time and breathe -- in through your nose, out through your mouth, she said. 

Q: What if my children ask me about the event?

A: Careless suggested parents be open with children, if children want to talk. Don't shut down conversation or tell them to "get over it," she said. Try to normalize the discussion and reiterate to them that it is okay to be upset or confused by the tragedy. On the other hand, if they don't want to talk, give them some space until they feel like engaging. If your children seem to be struggling more than usual, consider reaching out for help or following up on their condition; her department's web site, HealthyMindsPhilly.org, has screenings to help young people and adults determine if they need more help.

Q: How long will it take to heal and move on?

A: Every person’s process is different. The way you begin to heal is individual, so do what is necessary to help start the process. If you or a loved one start to have irregular habits, such as lack of sleep or oversleeping, that continue past two weeks, consider talking to someone who can help.

The federal government's mental health agency, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, has a 24-hour Disaster Relief Helpline. If you would like free support or counseling, contact them at 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs’ to 66746. 

Philadelphia police had a message for residents worried about what could happen if a mass shooter targetted the city. 

"We look at every tip, every threat," Philadelphia police deputy commissioner Dennis Wilson said. "Our policing evolves as the threat evolves."

Unlike civilians whose first instinct would be to flee, local police are trained to go towards the chaos, he said. 

"They’re trained to listen for gunshots and go towards the gunshots and seek the shooter," he said.

Philadelphia is a favorite destination for massive events such as the Democratic National Convention, Made in America music festival and even Pope Francis' U.S. visit in 2015. 

Because the city attracts so many visitors every year, planning is paramount. Detectives visit nearby hotels and other popular attractions to coordinate with staff before major events take place. This open line of communication is essential to mapping an area and securing the perimeter, Wilson said.

Social media is also crucial for law enforcement. Entire teams monitor possible threats via Twitter and Facebook and coordinate with local and national officials. Additional, Philadelphia police work with colleges and schools. 

"We have a lot of layers in place for every large event," Wilson said.

In June, Philadelphia City Council convened a committee on the prevention of gun violence, which will continue to hold hearings on programs and policies, identifying local and national best practices and engaging community leaders.

More than 800 residents in the city have been the victims or witnesses to shootings in 2017, according to Philadelphia Councilman Darrell Clarke. 

Clarke, who represents Philadelphia’s 5th District, said Sunday’s shooting is an opportunity for the nation to have a bigger conversation about gun regulations.

“Like millions of Americans today, I am both heartbroken and angry,” he said. “I’m angry that the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world cannot muster the political will to regulate the manufacture, sale and trafficking of deadly weapons.”

Flags throughout the nation and region were lowered to half-staff Monday to honor the more than 50 lives lost in Sunday’s Las Vegas massacre.

“Philadelphia grieves with Las Vegas this morning,” Mayor Jim Kenney tweeted. “It’s an unspeakable tragedy for the hundreds of families impacted and for our nation.”

A mother's worst nightmare becomes a moment to count her blessings. A panicked couple runs to the first taxi they see. A group of friends duck down as bullets fly over their heads. The shell-shocked faces of thousands coming to grips with an unthinkable tragedy. A mass of people and vehicles flee as the deafening sound of gunfire pierces the air.

As news of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history continues to develop, more stories from witnesses and survivors of the Las Vegas concert shooting are surfacing. Here are some of those accounts from people from our area.

“What Do You Mean You’re Okay?”

Lucy O’Donnell was sleeping when she was awoken by the most terrifying phone call of her life.

“I got the call that no parent ever wants,” the Wilmington, Delaware woman told NBC10.

Lucy’s daughter, Megan O’Donnell, was attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas with a group of friends when a gunman, located 32 floors up in the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel, opened fire.

“We were running out of the fence and it was still going on, the machine gunshots behind you,” Megan told NBC10. “It’s like a terrifying feeling to be running backwards, away from shots right behind you.”

A barrage of bullets rained down on the crowd of thousands who were enjoying the popular country music festival. At least 59 people died and more than 500 were hurt. Fortunately for the O’Donnell family, Megan managed to escape unharmed. Before reports of the shooting hit the news cycle, Lucy received the firsthand account from her daughter whose first words on the phone were “I’m okay.”

“I said, ‘What do you mean you’re okay?’ I didn’t even know anything had happened,” Lucy said. “And then she explained to me what had happened and how she had just run through the streets of Las Vegas and into the airport.”

Lucy spent the early morning hours comforting her daughter over the phone. She knows how fortunate she is to be able to have had that conversation.

“I got to do that and others didn’t,” Lucy said. “That’s what I think about.”

Megan, a 33-year-old mother of two, eventually touched base with her friends and made her way to Las Vegas McCarran Airport. She boarded a flight back to Philadelphia International Airport and arrived Monday afternoon.

Lucy, meanwhile, remains grateful her daughter wasn’t hurt but also shaken by the close call.

“Her father and I already texted her and said, ‘No more concerts. I don’t care if you’re 33,’” Lucy said. “She has two children and you know, you’ve gotta think about it. It’s a shame, but you do, you have to think about those things now.”

“We’ll Pay for It”

Virginia McDowell knew something was wrong the moment she and her husband pulled up in a cab to the Las Vegas Tropicana Sunday night. The former Atlantic City Casino executive and Philadelphia native saw a panicked couple approach her taxi as a group of people ran from the Route 91 Harvest Festival.

“We’re taking this cab,” the couple told McDowell.

“We haven’t even paid yet,” McDowell replied.

“Don’t worry,” the couple said. “We’ll pay for it.”

McDowell told NBC10 the couple then threw her and her husband out of the cab, jumped in and told the driver to take them anywhere.

McDowell was among the approximately 26,000 people expected in Vegas for the annual Global Gaming Expo Conference. She could never imagine she would arrive at the same time the deadliest mass shooting in the country’s modern history was taking place. McDowell described the bloody aftermath of the massacre. 

“Literally, the walking wounded,” McDowell said. “Many of them carrying severely wounded people into the Tropicana and into Hooters next door. Literally just walking around shell-shocked. It was horrible.”

"Somebody Was Watching Over Us"

Stephanie DiBartolomeo first noticed the popping sound.

"You just kind of heard like, 'pop, pop, pop' real loud a bunch of times," she said.

DiBartolomeo and her family were in the middle of the crowd of thousands during the Las Vegas concert when the shooting began.

"The stage went dark and then everybody just started screaming and people were dropping to the ground and running," she said. "So then we just all kind of just grabbed each other and started running."

As more and more concertgoers were struck by gunfire in the ensuing panic, DiBartolomeo and her friends frantically ducked for cover.

"We were hiding under the bar," she said. "Jumping under the bar trying not to get hit by the bullets. You could hear them going off and hear them over your head. Then we just ran."

Miraculously, DiBartolomeo and her friends escaped unharmed. She returned to her native Glassboro, New Jersey Monday with a new appreciation for life.

"Extremely lucky," she said. "Extremely. Somebody was watching over us. I've never felt so lucky in my life to be safe and to be here."

“You Can Already See It on People’s Faces”

Lisa Johnson drove past the concert venue just minutes before the massacre began. Johnson, the president of an Egg Harbor Township-based communications company, former Las Vegas casino PR exec and news anchor, was at dinner at a different hotel when word of the shooting spread.

“There’s an active shooter on the strip,” a waiter inside the restaurant told her. “No one’s allowed to go out to the strip.”

The Global Gaming Expo Conference still began Monday in the aftermath of the shooting. Johnson knows it won’t have its normal festive atmosphere.

“You can already see it on people’s faces,” Johnson said. “Everybody is just shocked over this. Nobody can go on and enjoy themselves. This is a tragedy unlike any other that we’ve seen. It’s just horrific.”

“I’ve Never Seen Vegas Silent Like This”

Billy Ciancaglini was enjoying the third night of his Las Vegas vacation when he noticed a crowd of people running toward him from the Route 91 Harvest Festival.

“There’s a shooter! There’s a shooter,” the panicked crowd yelled.

Ciancaglini was unable to escape the mass of people and vehicles that were fleeing the scene.

“There was no getting out of the way,” the Philadelphia-based attorney said. “There were just people everywhere coming in my direction. People were just pushing into each other and pushing the people in front into the street one after another and cars weren’t stopping.”

Ciancaglini heard the constant sound of gunfire as the panic continued.

“It was going off seemingly forever,” he said. “It was going on for quite a while.”

Ciancaglini eventually made it to his hotel room at the Monte Carlo casino — about five blocks from the shooting scene — where he updated his loved ones on Facebook that he was okay.

During an interview with NBC10, Ciancaglini looked down from his hotel room at the nearly deserted Vegas Strip.

“I’ve never seen Vegas silent like this,” he said. “It is a ghost town like I’ve never seen before.”

As news of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history spread, reaction was swift from around the world.

Here at home, local lawmakers and leaders also sent messages of support to the people of Las Vegas via social media. 

More supplies are being sent to victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. NBC10's Cydney Long shows us how a grass roots group from our area is helping with the relief effort.

Have you ever engaged in genocide?

It's a pretty straightforward question, one that comes with only two answers, and one that is asked of immigrants who seek permanent residence in the United States.

A Delaware County, Pennsylvania, businessman named Mohammed Jabateh allegedly lied when answering "no" to that question in 2002.

Jabateh, federal prosecutors allege, actually took part in atrocities during a decade-long civil war in the west African country of Liberia. At the time, prosecutors say he was known as "Jungle Jabbah," a feared commander in one of two warring military factions in the late 1980s and 1990s.

The now 50-year-old owner of a shipping company, who lives in Lansdowne, went on trial at the federal courthouse in Philadelphia on Oct. 2 to face two counts of filing false immigration documents and two counts of perjury. Each count comes with up to five years in prison and deportation.

He has pleaded not guilty.

A long list of witnesses are expected for both the U.S. Attorney's office and in Jabateh's defense.

In his new life since coming to America in 1998, seeking asylum, some in greater Philadelphia's close-knit Liberian community know Jabateh as a hard-working businessman. They had no idea that he was a man that prosecutors now link to the bloody war that left 200,000 dead and many thousands more maimed, raped and displaced.

Witnesses that prosecutors are expected to call, however, paint the picture of a military leader hellbent on not only killing his enemies, but torturing them.

One witness, according to court documents, recalled Jabateh allegedly ordering tires placed around prisoners. He then ordered his men to douse the tires in gasoline.

"The prisoners of war burned to death," the documents say.

Another witness will recount the painful death of a friend named Jaffo.

"Jaffo was a light-skinned black youth whom Jabbateh ordered to be sacrificed," documents allege. "To this end, a [United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy] soldier, on Jabbetah's orders, slit Jaffo's throat."

The backdrop for such violence was a country divided by both military coups and ethnic hatred.

"Chaos is too kind a word," said Maghan Keita, professor of history at Villanova University.

He said very few Liberians escaped the war either as an aggressor or victim. Battlefields didn't exist and the brutality played on in villages and towns.

“The main target becomes the coercion of civilian populations, as opposed to engagement with other combatants who are as heavily armed as you are," Keita said.

Jabateh has been jailed since his arrest in April 2016.

Among those American Liberians who know Jabateh since his arrival in the U.S. in 1998 is a cousin and fellow businessman named Voffee Jabateh, who called Mohammed Jabateh "a pillar" of the local community.

"I got to know Mohammed here, as a family man," Voffee Jabateh said.

Mohammed Jabateh's attorney, Greg Pagano, told NBC10 that Jabateh is "peaceful, deeply religious, and he is intensely loyal to the United States of America."

John Prall, another Liberian who escaped to southeastern Pennsylvania, will be watching the trial closely. He hopes it is a start, not an end, to the pursuit of justice for victims of his native country's civil war.

Prall believes there are more than one former warlord living in his community.

"There are so many here," he said. "There are so many."

Have you ever engaged in genocide?

It's a pretty straightforward question, one that comes with only two answers, and one that is asked of immigrants who seek permanent residence in the United States.

A Delaware County, Pennsylvania, businessman named Mohammed Jabateh allegedly lied when answering "no" to that question in 2002.

Jabateh, federal prosecutors allege, actually took part in atrocities during a decade-long civil war in the west African country of Liberia. At the time, prosecutors say he was known as "Jungle Jabbah," a feared commander in one of two warring military factions in the late 1980s and 1990s.

The now 50-year-old owner of a shipping company, who lives in Lansdowne, went on trial at the federal courthouse in Philadelphia on Oct. 2 to face two counts of filing false immigration documents and two counts of perjury. Each count comes with up to five years in prison and deportation.

He has pleaded not guilty.

[[449131553, C]]

A long list of witnesses are expected for both the U.S. Attorney's office and in Jabateh's defense.

In his new life since coming to America in 1998, seeking asylum, some in greater Philadelphia's close-knit Liberian community know Jabateh as a hard-working businessman. They had no idea that he was a man that prosecutors now link to the bloody war that left 200,000 dead and many thousands more maimed, raped and displaced.

[[448939073, C]]

Witnesses that prosecutors are expected to call, however, paint the picture of a military leader hellbent on not only killing his enemies, but torturing them.

One witness, according to court documents, recalled Jabateh allegedly ordering tires placed around prisoners. He then ordered his men to douse the tires in gasoline.

"The prisoners of war burned to death," the documents say.

Another witness will recount the painful death of a friend named Jaffo.

"Jaffo was a light-skinned black youth whom Jabbateh ordered to be sacrificed," documents allege. "To this end, a [United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy] soldier, on Jabbetah's orders, slit Jaffo's throat."

The backdrop for such violence was a country divided by both military coups and ethnic hatred.

"Chaos is too kind a word," said Maghan Keita, professor of history at Villanova University.

He said very few Liberians escaped the war either as an aggressor or victim. Battlefields didn't exist and the brutality played on in villages and towns.

“The main target becomes the coercion of civilian populations, as opposed to engagement with other combatants who are as heavily armed as you are," Keita said.

[[448944463, C]]

Jabateh has been jailed since his arrest in April 2016.

Among those American Liberians who know Jabateh since his arrival in the U.S. in 1998 is a cousin and fellow businessman named Voffee Jabateh, who called Mohammed Jabateh "a pillar" of the local community.

"I got to know Mohammed here, as a family man," Voffee Jabateh said.

Mohammed Jabateh's attorney, Greg Pagano, told NBC10 that Jabateh is "peaceful, deeply religious, and he is intensely loyal to the United States of America."

John Prall, another Liberian who escaped to southeastern Pennsylvania, will be watching the trial closely. He hopes it is a start, not an end, to the pursuit of justice for victims of his native country's civil war.

Prall believes there are more than one former warlord living in his community.

"There are so many here," he said. "There are so many."

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Here are the top news stories you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.

TODAY'S TOP STORY 

Tales of Heroism Emerge From Vegas Shooting: Tales of heroism from medical professionals, concertgoers and other members of the Las Vegas community have emerged in the wake of the largest mass shooting in modern American history. At least 59 people were killed and more than 500 wounded when Stephen Craig Paddock opened fire in Las Vegas from an elevated hotel room on the Route 91 Harvest Festival, where country music star Jason Aldean was performing for more than 22,000 fans. The 64-year-old gunman killed himself in the hotel room before authorities arrived. Following the shootings, concertgoers helped treat victims and get them to local hospitals. Later, area residents lined up to give blood as people from far and wide donated money. "It’s been our finest hour as a city," Nevada Lt Gov. Mark Hutchinson said at news conference Monday night. "It’s been, I think, among our finest hours as Americans."

• MORE ON THE HEROISM
  

WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY

Baby Found Dead in Trash Bag in Kitchen of Home: An investigation is underway after a baby was found dead in a trash bag in the kitchen of a home in the Rhawnhurst section of Philadelphia. On Sunday at 4:35 p.m., officials received a 911 call stating a woman gave birth to a stillborn baby at a home on the 7800 block of Summerdale Avenue. When medics arrived at the home they found the baby in a trash bag that was placed in the kitchen of the house. The baby was pronounced dead at 4:48 p.m. After further investigation, police discovered the baby was born on Wednesday, September 27. Police have not released a cause of death and no arrests have been made. Police continue to investigate.

• MORE ON THE BABY
  

YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST  

Tuesday is expected to be sunny with temperatures in the 70s. Wednesday is also expected to be sunny and warmer with temperatures in the 80s. Thursday and Friday are also expected to see 80 degree temperatures. The sun is expected to stick around through the weekend with temperatures back in the 70s. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.

Tom Petty Dies at 66: Rock star Tom Petty, known for a string of hits including "Free Fallin'," died Monday in California, said Petty's manager on behalf of the family. Petty was 66. The rock legend suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu early Monday and was taken to UCLA Medical Center, according to Tony Dimitriades, longtime manager of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Petty could not be revived and died at 8:40 p.m. PT surrounded by his family, friends and bandmates. Petty became a bonafide rock star after bursting on the music scene in 1976 with his group Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. His band had numerous hits over several decades, including “American Girl,” “Free Fallin’,” “Refugee” and “I Won’t Back Down.”

• MORE ON TOM PETTY
  

AROUND THE WORLD

Many Puerto Ricans Angry Over Trump's Comments on Island: Outside of official events, many Puerto Ricans say they won't be welcoming President Donald Trump with open arms during his visit to the storm-wracked island on Tuesday. People in the U.S. territory were angry or dismissive Monday when asked about Trump's description of some Puerto Ricans who have criticized the U.S. government's aid after Hurricane Maria as "ingrates" and about his assurances that the relief effort is going well. "He's a piece of trash," Rachel Cruz, a linguist, said as she head home after buying groceries in the capital, San Juan. "He makes a fool out of himself and a fool out of his country.” Cruz said Puerto Ricans are furious with power still cut off on most of the island, schools and many businesses closed, and much of the countryside struggling to find fresh water and food, but she said even the angriest were unlikely to openly insult the man ultimately responsible for helping them.

• MORE ON THE RELIEF EFFORTS
  

That's what you need to know to Catch Up Quickly, but we've got more stories worthy of your time. Click here to check them out. 

About 3.6 million clear plastic plates with designs like superheroes, giraffes and cars are being recalled because the clear plastic layer over those graphics can peel off and pose a choking hazard.

Playtex has been made aware of 372 instances of that layer bubbling or peeling, 11 reports of that plastic in children's mouths and four of children choking on it, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall notice, issued Tuesday.

The Playtex dishware were sold from October 2009 through this August at Walmart, Babies R Us, Target, and other stores, as well as on Amazon online, for about $2.50 per plate or bowl and as part of a $15 set.

Anyone with the bowls is being asked to stop using them immediately and take them away from young children. Playtex is offering a full refund.

The plates and bowls say Playtex on the bottom and have a colored rim and non-slip bottom.

Learn more by calling Playtex at 1-888-220-2075 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET on weekdays or visiting its recall website.

A school bus carrying children crashed in South Jersey Tuesday morning but the school says no children were hurt.

The Vineland Public Charter School bus crashed along N Pearl Street (Route 77) near Century Bakery and Bank Street in Bridgeton, police in Bridgeton said.

No children from Bridgeton Public Charter School or adults on board suffered any injuries, Vineland Public Charter School said.

A car could be seen on the back of a tow truck as the yellow bus was pulled over to the side of the road nearby.

No word if the driver of the car was hurt.

VCPS didn't say what would happen once the children arrive at school.

Las Vegas has been very quiet since a gunman shot and killed at least 59 people at a country music concert in Las Vegas Sunday night. People are heartbroken and wondering why this happened. NBC10's Matt DeLucia talks to people who survived the attack.

A Pennsylvania youth wrestling coach died as a gunman rained bullets down onto a Las Vegas country concert.

Bill Wofle was one of 59 victims to die when a gunman opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival from his 32nd-floor room at the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel, Shippensburg police said Tuesday morning. More than 500 others were hurt.

Wolfe, who coached for the Shippensburg Greyhound Wrestling organization, was at the country music festival with his wife, Robyn, the wrestling organization said.

Robyn Wolfe was uninjured, the wrestling organization said.

Friends and family held held a candlelight vigil for Wolfe Monday night as they awaited word on his condition, NBC affiliate WGAL reported.

Shippensburg Greyhound Wrestling lists Wolfe as the head coach of its Youth/Elementary Wrestling team for students kindergarten through 6th grade.

"We are brokenhearted to share that Bill did pass," the wrestling organization said in a Facebook post.

The Shippensburg Greyhound Wrestling Boosters set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the Wolfe family.

Parents should not wait for children to ask about incidents like the mass shooting in Las Vegas. The most important thing that we can tell our children is that this is unique and unusual, but not to expect that this is the norm. Dr. Steve Berkowitz is a child psychiatrist with Penn Medicine, tells us what should parents do if their kids ask about the shooting.

A New Jersey man is facing charges after police say he punched a man several times over a stolen Taylor ham and beer.

Police in Hackettstown say they were called to an apartment on Main Street after getting a call about a fight spurred by the Garden State delicacy, and found one man with swelling on his face.

They later determined that the fight -- which may have additionally been started over beer -- ended with a 19-year-old man punching the victim, who he knew, several times. 

The 19-year-old was cuffed on assault charges afterward. It wasn't clear if a stolen Taylor ham was recovered at the scene.

The processed meat -- officially labeled "Taylor Pork Roll" -- has long been a contentious topic in New Jersey, where it is a popular breakfast diner sandwich. Those in the north have long called sandwiches with Taylor meat "Taylor Ham" sandwiches. But in the south, they're known as "pork rolls."

It got so heated in 2016 that Gov. Chris Christie said he was considering issuing an executive order making "Taylor ham" the sandwich's official name. 

NBC10's Matt DeLucia is live in Las Vegas trying to piece together the details of what happened and any local connections to the massacre. He is seeing how people are coming together in the face of tragedy. Stay with NBC10 as the story develops.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama sat down for a “chat” with renowned television writer and producer Shonda Rhimes at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women in Philadelphia Tuesday afternoon.

The two spoke for an hour about everything from life after the White House to raising daughters in the age of social media.

At one point, Obama detoured from their conversation to pay respects to the lives lost Sunday in Las Vegas.

“My heart goes out to the victims and their families,” she said. “Sadly, that becomes part of the job” as president and first lady during times of tragedy.

In the months since leaving the White House, the Obamas have been spotted vacationing with friends, dining out in D.C. and enjoying being away from the spotlight.

“It’s good. It’s really good … to have control over your day-to-day life,” Obama said. “For 10 years, our life wasn’t our own.”

Now, Obama is able to focus on her memoir and also meditate her decade in power.

“You’re doing all of it under the harshest, brightest light there is with people judging, supporting, judging and supporting,” she said.

The former first lady recently came under fire for slamming women who voted for President Donald Trump. Speaking at a conference in Boston last week, she accused female Trump supporters of going “against their own voice.”

"What does it mean for us as women that we look at those two candidates, as women, and many of us said, that guy, he's better for me, his voice is more true to me," Obama said. "Well, to me that just says you don't like your voice. You like the thing you're told to like."

But on Tuesday, she mostly kept away from politics, instead answering questions about balancing work and home life, raising strong daughters and staying fit.

Towards the end of her talk, Rhimes surprised Obama with a video from her husband, former President Barack Obama, on their 25th wedding anniversary. 

"You have been an example to our daughters and to the entire country," he said. "Truly the best decision I ever made was to be persistent enough asking you on a date."

On facilitating the next generation of women leaders:

She credited “having parents who always thought what I had to say was important. They made room for our voices at a very young age,” she said.

“So early in our lives we’re sushed. Sometimes we’re treated too preciously … like a doll."

"When my father taught my brother to box at the age of 7, he bought me a little pair of gloves.”

“You have to respect her and give her power at a very young age.”

On women asserting themselves in the workplace:

“I have been at so many tables with so many fools that are imposters, but shame on us if we sit by and let an imposter talk us down.”

“You see wrong happening and you sit by quietly because you’re afraid to fail - that's what I want to challenge women to do: Speak up.”

“Don’t waste your seat at the table. We can’t afford for you to be afraid to fail.”

On raising kids in the digital age:

“Because of social media, kids are more exposed to more people and more cultures. They are more open. They are less tolerant of obvious inequities.”

“Many of the young people only know Barack Obama as their president. They will feel ... some of what is happening now is intrinsically not what they were taught. I’m optimistic in that way.”

On her favorite snacks:

"Comfort food. Anything salty - fries, pizza, burgers."

On her current reading list:

"Commonwealth" by Anne Patchett, "Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger, "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, which, she said, "seems interestingly applicable to these times."

Also, "Songs of Solomon" is her favorite book of all time.

Quote to live by:

"Do unto others as you would have them done unto you."

Joe Picozzi knew early on in life that he enjoyed politics and civic engagement.

The son of a retired Philadelphia deputy fire chief and the former director of rehabilitation at Hahnemann Hospital, he started working for Pennsylvania state Rep. Frank Farry in the eighth grade.

By last year, the 22-year-old was president of the Washington D.C. Federation of College Republicans, an organization on five college campuses with 1,500 members.

This year, he is a staffer in the Officer of House Majority Leader on Capitol Hill.

"I’ve been a nerdy political kid for 8 or 9 years now. It’s humbling to going from volunteering for a state representative doing constituent services once or twice a week to walking into the Capitol Building every day," Picozzi said, who has worked as a staff assistant since June. "I get chills sometimes still walking about the building."

His meteoric rise up the political food chain was rewarded last month when Red Alert Politics named him a finalist in their sixth annual 30 Under 30. The conservative website is still accepting votes for Picozzi and 49 others until Oct. 6, when it winnows down the list to the official 30.

"His passion for making a difference led him to study in Washington D.D.," the site said in its biography of Picozzi. "Elected the youngest Chairman in the history of the D.C. Federation of College Republicans, Joe successfully organized a campaign deployment to Bucks County, Pennsylvania to help elect President Trump, Senator Pat Toomey and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick."

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The site also notes what Picozzi called his greatest accomplishment in politics yet: helping establish a Young Republicans chapter at Howard University, a historically black college.

He also remembers fondly how much fun it was to work on the successful Congressional campaign of Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, who won a first term representing Pennsylvania's Eighth District. It is made up of most of Bucks County and some of Far Northeast Philadelphia.

He says it was the ultimate boots-on-the-ground political run. 

"Brian is the kind of guy that when we were stuffing envelopes, he was stuffing envelopes," Picozzi said.

He said he doesn't really "feel like a D.C. person" and that a return to Philadelphia seems inevitable. He talks with his parents, Joe and Ruth, everyday.

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Having only graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in government this past summer, the honor of being on Red Alert Politics' list comes as Picozzi is still trying to make it on his own in the political capital of the world.

He still lives in his college fraternity house.

"Hey, the rent is cheap," Picozzi said.

During the long hours of the work week, which really never ends on Capitol Hill, Picozzi said he does jobs both breathtaking and menial — the life of the youngest staff assistant in Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's office.

"You do some policy work, which is really cool, but also make sure the coffee is made that the interns are stocking the coffee machine and printers," Picozzi said.

And in this era of the non-stop news cycle, he said the day sometimes never ends.

"Whatever you see on the news, that's what we live," he said.

Voting for Red Alert Politics' 2017 "30 Under 30" list runs through Oct. 6. Go here to cast your vote.