Jason Aldean is speaking out than a day after gunshots were fired during his Las Vegas concert at the Route 91 Harvest Festival.
“Over the last 24 hrs I have gone through lots of emotions,” the country star, 40, wrote on Instagram. “Scared, Anger, Heartache, Compassion and many others. I truly don’t 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,” said Aldean, who is expecting a baby boy with wife Brittany.
“At the end of the day we arent Democrats or Republicans, Whites or Blacks, Men or Women,” he continued. “We are all humans and we are all Americans and its time to start acting like it and stand together as ONE!”
“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,” he concluded. “My heart aches for the victims and their families of this senseless act. I am so sorry for the hurt and pain everyone is feeling right now and there are no words I can say 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.”
His message accompanied a photo that read “Pray for Vegas.”
Mindy Small/FilmMagic
On Monday evening, officials said that at least 59 people had been killed and 527 more were injured.
On Sunday night, gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire from his 32nd-floor hotel room at the Mandalay Bay casino on the crowd of more than 22,000 at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, an outdoor country music festival that was at the end of its third day and Aldean was performing the closing set.
Video footage, shared on Twitter, shows the harrowing moments Aldean ran from the stage during his show after bullets were fired.
RELATED LINK: Remembering the Victims of the Las Vegas Mass Shooting, the Deadliest in Modern U.S. History
“Tonight has been beyond horrific. I still don’t know what to say but wanted to let everyone know that me and my crew are safe,” he wrote in an Instagram post in the wake of the shooting. “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.”
WATCH: Las Vegas Shooting Victim Saved Wife’s Life Before He Was Killed
How to Help and Learn About Loved Ones
Friends and family are asked to report missing people believed to be connected to the shooting using the hotline 1-800-536-9488.
Anyone with photo or video evidence of the shooting is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
The city of Las Vegas has established a Family Reunification Center to help connect relatives with the more than 500 people who were injured.
In addition, city officials urged those locally who wish to donate blood to visit one of two donation centers operated by United Blood Services, either at 6930 W. Charleston in Las Vegas or at 601 Whitney Ranch Drive in Henderson, Nevada.
A victims’ fund has been started on GoFundMe by Steve Sisolak the Clark County, Nevada, commission chair. Other groups providing relief include the local chapter of the American Red Cross and the National Compassion Fund.
This Article Was Originally Posted at www.People.com
http://people.com/country/jason-aldean-pleads-to-come-together-stop-the-hate-las-vegas-shooting/
