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As the country music community continues to grapple with the devastating shooting at the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival early Monday morning (Oct. 2) in Las Vegas, Nev., many country stars have shared reactions as the news unfolds. Raelynn posted some of her own thoughts on Instagram, and her words capture well the senselessness of how so many innocent lives were taken too soon.
“Mothers, fathers, daughters and sons. So many people lost someone they love today,” RaeLynn writes. “I just don’t understand the hate in the world right now. You should be able to go to a concert and enjoy yourself without worrying about your life.”
The shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival is the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. At least 58 people are dead and more than 500 are injured, according to the latest report. In her note, RaeLynn also sends prayers to the crew, musicians and artists who were in attendance at the festival.
Country Stars Respond Following Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting
“I can’t imagine how scared you were,” she writes. “This is tragic.”
Certainly, none of the musicians, nor the fans, expected the final night of the three-day Route 91 Harvest Festival to be filled with so much fear or end in this horrendous way. Jake Owen was standing on the side of the stage while Jason Aldean was playing when the mass shooting began, and his first tweet — moments after the first shots were fired — is sobering: “Gun shots!!! Vegas,” Owen tweeted at 1:12AM ET. “Pray to god. Love you guys. Love you Pearl.”
Thankfully, both Aldean and Owen were able to get to safety. Chris Young, who was not performing but was in attendance, took refuge on the floor of a trailer behind the stage. Several hours later, he admitted, “I’m literally shaking still.”
The shooter, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nev., began firing from a hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino during Aldean’s set. He fired directly into the massive crowd of Route 91 Harvest Festival attendees. Police believe he killed himself before they entered his hotel room.
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This Article Was Originally Posted at www.TheBoot.com
http://theboot.com/raelynn-route-91-harvest-festival-shooting-response/
