Jake Owen Recounts Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting: ‘Pray to God’
Jake Owen was tweeting as shots rang out during the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival early Monday morning (Oct. 2). The country star's messages are insight into the confusion in the moments after the gunfire started.
Jason Aldean, who was headlining the final night of the three-day festival, was performing when the shooting began, shortly after 10PM local time. Owen's set preceded Aldean's; he tells Fox News that he was standing on the side of the stage, watching Aldean's set.
"Gun shots!!! Vegas," Owen tweeted at 1:12AM ET. "Pray to god. Love you guys. Love you Pearl."
CNN reports that a single shooter, who has been identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nev., was positioned in a hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and shooting from above the crowd, gathered outside Mandalay at Las Vegas Village. He has been killed, either as police raided his hotel room or by a self-inflicted injury.
"Gun shots were ringing off of the stage rigging and road cases," Owen said at about 4:15AM ET. "No one knew where to go ... Thank you LVPD and responders for keeping us safe."
At least 50 people are dead and more than 500 were injured during the shooting. The area is still an active crime scene, and as of about 7AM ET, Owen was still on his bus at the concert site.
"Praying for everyone here in Vegas," Owen wrote around 2:45AM ET. "I witnessed the most unimaginable event tonight. We are okay. Others aren't. Please pray."
Remembering the Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting Victims