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The news of the horrific shooting at the Route 91 concert in Las Vegas by a gunman firing from a hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay has shocked citizens across the U.S. and the world.
Thus far the gunman, Steven Craig Paddock from Mesquite, Texas killed 50 including an off-duty LVMPD officer, and left more than 400 concert goers injured. Paddock killed himself prior to Las Vegas PD locating him at his Mandalay Bay hotel room.
The Route 91 Harvest Festival, a three day event, was headlined by well known country artists including Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Big & Rich, Brothers Osborne, Jake Owen, Jason Aldean, and others.
LiveNation hosts this event, which was started in 2014.
The festival had multiple stages at Las Vegas Village, an open-air setting that is diagonally across the street from the Mandalay Bay hotel complex. The shooter reportedly fired from a high floor in the hotel.
Jake Owen had finished his set prior to Jason Aldean’s when the attack started.
He sent out the following tweets:
Gun shots!!! Vegas. Pray to god. Love you guys. Love you Pearl.
— Jake Owen (@jakeowen) October 2, 2017
Praying for everyone here in Vegas. I witnessed the most unimaginable event tonight. We are okay. Others arent. Please pray.
— Jake Owen (@jakeowen) October 2, 2017
Gun shots were ringing off of the stage rigging and road cases. No one knew where to go..thank you LVPD and responders for keeping us safe
— Jake Owen (@jakeowen) October 2, 2017
Jake was watching from the stage in support of Jason Aldean. He recounts his reaction here.
.@jakeowen is still in Las Vegas. Sitting on his bus in the parking lot.
listen below + more: https://t.co/sqXEMH8NRj pic.twitter.com/I7SReNeDuE
— Bobby Bones Show (@bobbybonesshow) October 2, 2017
And here:
Kane Brown performed earlier in the day.
https://twitter.com/kanebrown/status/914723752411152384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2F2017%2F10%2F02%2Fmedia%2Fjason-aldean-country-music-concert-shooting%2Findex.html
Big & Rich performed just prior to Jake Owen on the main stage.
Everyone in the B&R camp is ok thoughts and prayers to everyone in vegas at #Route91
— Big & Rich (@bigandrich) October 2, 2017
Lee Brice had played two days prior to the attack.
Hearts out to Vegas. Route 91 concert, stage I played two nights ago. Musicians, fans, workers, you are all in our prayers right now..
— Lee Brice (@leebrice) October 2, 2017
Luke Combs was wrapping up his set on the Next from Nashville stage not very far away.
Active shooter at @Route91Harvest in Vegas. We're safe. Love you guys.
— Luke Combs (@LukeCombsMusic) October 2, 2017
Me, the band, and crew are all safe. Been a long night, gonna try to get some sleep. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.
— Luke Combs (@LukeCombsMusic) October 2, 2017
Chris Young was attending the concert.
Spent I don't know how long on the floor of a trailer behind the stage… know multiple people are dead. Listening to that gunfire…
— ChrisYoungMusic (@ChrisYoungMusic) October 2, 2017
I'm literally shaking still.
— ChrisYoungMusic (@ChrisYoungMusic) October 2, 2017
Josh Abbott played the festival as well.
Active shooter by us in Vegas. Say some prayers
— Josh Abbott (@joshabbottband) October 2, 2017
Everyone in JAB is accounted for. They evacuated us from Mandalay. My fiancée is still in room. They won't let me in but she's safe
— Josh Abbott (@joshabbottband) October 2, 2017
Jason Aldean was onstage when the attack started.
As reports state, he and many others at first thought someone was setting off firecrackers. Understandable if you go to a concert like that where the sound is cranked up so it can reach well beyond those who are in the back of the concert area. Jason posted his reaction on Instagram.
“Tonight has been beyond horrific,” Aldean wrote in a caption on his Instagram page. “I still dont know what to say but wanted to let everyone know that Me and my Crew are safe. My Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved tonight. It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night. #heartbroken #stopthehate”
A young lady named Lauren Cowling, who owns and manages the OneCountry.com website, wrote this:
People go to shows to let loose, to enjoy, to get away. There shouldn’t be any fear when you’re singing in unison with 30,000 other people.
As reports continue to come in Las Vegas, it’s already the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. At a country music in Las Vegas as Jason Aldean started singing, “When She Says Baby.”
That an unbelievable thing to type.
This is not how it’s supposed to be.
There are 400 or more injured and 50 killed at this writing. Concertgoers out to enjoy a night with some of Country Music’s best and brightest when evil slammed into them.
We pray for the injured. We pray for the families of those who were killed. We pray for the first responders and all others affected.
This is not how it’s supposed to be.
Scott says: Prayers out to all the victims! Predictably, the vultures are already circling, and calling for gun control. Please lets all slow down and wait for the facts people.
GWB says: Going to be analytical, and avoid the obvious emotions, here.
I’ve heard the audio from the video when this incident started. It does sound like firecrackers.
It also doesn’t sound like a single pull of the trigger for each shot. Nor does it sound like a fast full-auto firearm (which tends to more of a brrrp sound). I’m guessing either a trigger-bump mechanism, or something modified from semi-auto.
But, none of that mattered nearly as much as angle and opportunity.
Scott says: Agree GWB, easy to see how the crowd thought it was firecrackers, or a helicopter, especially with the echos. It was definitely full auto, though no way to tell at this point if it was bump fire, illegal mod, or smuggled in full auto (if isis claims of responsibility are to be believed). All are possible, and as you pointed out, angle and opportunity are the huge points as well…unlike a face to face attack, the only possible return fire in this case would have been an actual counter-sniper that was pre-positioned.
This was a well planned attack, he was in the room for 4 days prior. It appears that he was not prior military, so it also begs the question where he gained the knowledge to carry out this attack
Nina says: Scott and GWB, Thank you both for your comments. Certainly are some crucial items to think about as we learn more.
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