Jason Aldean was devastated on Sunday night when his concert became the site of the deadliest mass shooting in US history. He is now stepping away for a short time to allow those affected by the shooting to grieve.
Aldean has cancelled his concerts for the remainder of the week. He will resume on October 12 in Tulsa. TMZ reports him as saying, “It is the right thing to do. It has been an emotional time for everyone involved this week, so we plan to take some time to mourn the ones we have lost.”
Aldean was originally set to perform at The Forum in Los Angeles, California, on Friday, October 6, followed by performances in San Diego and Anaheim this weekend. Those performances have been cancelled.
“Our first time back on stage will be a very tough and emotional thing for us,” Jason explained to TMZ, “but we will all get through it together and honor the people we lost by doing the only thing we know how to do — play our songs for them.”
Powerful words from @Jason_Aldean.
Aldean, 40, was in the middle of performing when a gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, killing at least 50 and injuring at least 200, according to a police press briefing delivered by Sheriff Joseph Lombardo early Monday morning.
Aldean was performing on the final night of the “Route 91 Harvest Festival” in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 3-day festival featured artists like Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Jake Owen, Marren Morris, Brothers Osborne, Lee Brice, and more. Owen was standing just 50 feet from Aldean when the gunman opened fire.
On Monday, Aldean uploaded an Instagram post that read, “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. It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night.”
*This post will be updated with more information as it becomes available
