Country music superstar Jason Aldean has given a raw and emotional account of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, breaking a years-long public silence on the traumatic event that unfolded during his performance.
In an exclusive interview, Aldean recounts the horrifying moment the sound of gunfire ripped through the Route 91 Harvest festival, turning a celebratory night into the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. The singer was on stage when a gunman opened fire from the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel, killing 60 people and injuring hundreds more.
The Night That Changed Everything
Aldean describes the initial confusion, believing the rapid cracks were fireworks or speaker issues before the terrifying reality set in. He details the frantic scramble off stage as the crowd of 22,000 festival-goers fled for their lives. The psychological impact, he admits, has been profound and lasting.
"It's something that will live with me forever," Aldean revealed, speaking about the post-traumatic stress he continues to manage. "You go out there to play a show and have a good time, and it turns into... that. It's something you never think you're going to be a part of."
A New Controversy: The Music Video
The interview comes amid a fresh wave of controversy surrounding the release of Aldean's new music video for the single 'Try That In A Small Town'. Critics have expressed outrage that portions of the video were filmed at the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee—a site known for a historic lynching and a location that has sparked accusations of racially charged messaging.
Aldean and his record label have fiercely defended the video, stating its intent was to portray the unity of small communities and that the courthouse was chosen simply for its aesthetic appeal. The backlash, however, has been swift, pulling the painful memories of the Las Vegas tragedy back into the spotlight and forcing the singer to address both events.
The conversation presents a artist still grappling with his role as both a victim of violence and a public figure now mired in a new cultural debate.
