Festival Organisers Devastated

The organisers of the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas and its promoter Live Nation have issued statements following the shooting that killed 59 people and left 527 injured at the weekend.

The horrific incident began as Jason Aldean, the headliner of the final night of the country music festival began his set at the Mandalay Bay casino on Sunday night.

The perpetrator, who is believed to have committed suicide following the attack, has been identified as Stephen Paddock. Paddock started firing from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, causing scenes of widespread chaos at the event.

Route 91’s organisers issued a statement saying: “On behalf of the entire Route 91 Harvest Family, we are completely devastated by the event that occurred Sunday night. Our deepest sympathies go out to the injured and the deceased and their loved ones, senseless violence has claimed the souls of our fans and we have little in the way of answers”.

The statement continued: “While we will try and move forward, we will never forget this day. We will not let hate win over love. We will not be defeated by senseless violence. We will persevere, and honour the souls that were lost. Because it matters”.

Promoter Live Nation added: “We are heartbroken over the tragedy that took place at the Route 91 Harvest festival. To think that anyone would want to inflict harm on a gathering of music lovers is beyond our comprehension. And while we are stunned and grieving over this incomprehensible act of violence, we know that this is a moment when we must come together to prevent more tragedies like this from occurring”.

At this stage, the killer was believed to be acting alone and as the US’s deadliest mass shooting to date, the incident has again sparked off a debate around gun control in the US.

Author and activist Naomi Klein tweeted:  “Don’t talk about guns after a massacre. Or climate change after storms. Or austerity after firetrap buildings burn. Talk when no one listens”.