Mike Coppola, Getty Images for CMT
Luke Bryan has issued a statement about security on his 2017 Farm Tour in the wake of the shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. The country star, in a Facebook post, wants fans to know that he and his team will be doing everything they can to keep the fans attending his final few 2017 Farm Tour shows safe.
“We are greatly saddened by the event that took place in Vegas and are praying for those country music fans, their families and all involved,” Bryan’s statement reads. “We want to assure our fans that we are working with state and local officials to do everything possible to ensure your safety during our Farm Tour shows.”
Bryan began his 2017 Farm Tour — his ninth annual Farm Tour — on Sept. 28 in Lincoln, Neb. He has already played three shows on the trek and has three left. The concerts take place on rural farms — open-air venues that, much like the Route 91 Harvest Festival site, require concertgoers to go through security but are harder to fully secure than an arena or club would be.
Country Stars Respond Following Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting
“Country music has always been about community,” Bryan’s statement adds, “and we will continue to stand together.”
More than 50 people were killed and more than 500 people were injured when a gunman opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival on Sunday night (Oct. 1). Bryan’s friend Jason Aldean was onstage when the shooting began; Bryan recalls feeling “nauseated” when speaking with him a few hours after the tragedy.
“As entertainers, you look at your fans — you’re not up there to do anything but connect with them,” Bryan says. “I lay in bed, and when they show the faces of the victims — they’re our fans, they embody America. It’s [a] country music festival, but it’s America, and it’s bigger than just — it’s just bigger than — it goes so far beyond …”
Remembering the Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting Victims
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