Jason Aldean has spoken out after 59 people were killed and 527 others were injured in a mass shooting during his set at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas on Sunday, October 1.
“Over the last 24 hrs I have gone through lots of emotions. Scared, Anger, Heartache, Compassion and many others,” the 40-year-old country singer wrote on Instagram late Monday, October 2. “I truely [sic] dont understand why a person would want to take the life of another. Something has changed in this country and in this world lately that is scary to see. This world is becoming the kind of place i am afraid to raise my children in.”
Aldean pleaded for unity among his fellow Americans. “At the end of the day we arent Democrats or Republicans, Whites or Blacks, Men or Women. We are all humans and we are all Americans and its time to start acting like it and stand together as ONE!” he wrote. “That is the only way we will ever get this Country to be better than it has ever been, but we have a long way to go and we have to start now.”
The Grammy nominee concluded his emotional post by paying tribute to those who were killed or injured in the attack, which is now the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. “My heart aches for the Victims and their families of this Senseless act,” he wrote. “I am so sorry for the hurt and pain everyone is feeling right now and there are no words i can say to to take that pain away. Just know u all are in my heart and my prayers as we all go through this together. Time to come together and stop the hate! #stopthehate #prayforlasvegas.”
Aldean was performing outside for a crowd of 22,000 when 64-year-old gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of the nearby Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Paddock died in his hotel room of what police said appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. At least 23 weapons were discovered inside his suite, in addition to the 19 firearms found at his home about 80 miles away in Mesquite, Nevada.
Us Weekly exclusively reported that the country superstar, who ran off stage amid the chaos, and his pregnant wife, Brittany Kerr, were unharmed. “Brittany and Jason are both safe. Brittany was there at the concert with Jason,” a source exclusively told Us. “They both, including his entire team, are still in shock. They can’t believe this happened to all those innocent people.”
Families looking to locate missing loved ones are being asked to call 1-800-536-9488.
