Big & Rich are completely “heartbroken” over the deadly Las Vegas shooting that claimed the lives of 59 people and injured 516.
Big Kenny and John Rich, who opened for headliner Jason Aldean, performed at Sunday’s Route 91 Harvest festival less than two hours before gunshots were heard.
Tragically, the pair revealed a fan they meet prior to their performance was killed when gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on the festival crowd of more than 22,000 from his 32nd-floor hotel room at the nearby Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, in what is now the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
“One guy that was in our meet-and-greet before the show, 25-year-old kid, passed away,” Rich said to E! News. “We had just met him before the show, but this bright-eyed kid was so excited to meet Big & Rich. And he was one of the guys, you know just shook his hand a couple hours before that. It’s unthinkable.”
The bandmates said they were still coming to grips with what had occurred.
“We played the show about 90 minutes before Jason Aldean. We had actually gone to a bar I own in Las Vegas to play a little after-show, and they tapped us on the shoulder and said there were active shooters at the 91 festival,” Rich told Extra on Monday.
“We thought there were multiple shooters at hotels. I was able to get one guy on the phone, Dee Jay Silver,” he said about contacting his friend who was staying at the Mandalay Bay. “Found out his 6-month-old son, and nanny were sleeping in the room next door to the shooter on the 32nd floor. You talk about horrifying, I do not know what compares to that.”
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Big added that the country duo was also staying at the Mandalay Bay.
“Every room in that hotel practically had the most stellar views of the venue. We sat there in our room, right under the floor the shooter was in last night, and watched people come into the venue,” he recalled.
“Now, it’s just shock and just heartbroken,” said Big, who also remembered seeing “for blocks and blocks down the Strip there were people running scared.”
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Videos posted on social media show Aldean singing as very rapid gunfire begins in the background. He can be seen running from stage as he, and the thousands in the crowd, realize what is happening.
Aldean called the scene “horrific” and said he was safe in an Instagram post early Monday.
“Tonight has been beyond horrific. 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,” he wrote.
“It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night.”
Big & Rich told Extra they “haven’t spoken to Jason [Aldean] yet.”
This Article Was Originally Posted at www.People.com
