Nearly a week on from the horrific shooting in Las Vegas that killed 58 people and injured more than 500, country singer Jason Aldean has paid tribute to the victims with a poignant message on Saturday Night Live.
Aldean was performing at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Las Vegas when shooter Stephen Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel across the street.
He later issued a statement to confirm he and his crew were all safe, calling the events of the night "beyond horrific," and he paid further tribute with a heartfelt message in the Saturday Night Live cold open.
Aldean said,
"This week we witnessed one of the worst tragedies in American history. Like everyone, I'm struggling to understand what happened that night and how to pick up the pieces and start to heal.
So many people are hurting—they're our children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends, they're all part of our family. So I want to say to them: we hurt for you and we hurt with you.
But you can be sure that we're going to walk through these tough times together every step of the way. Because when America is at its best, our bond and our spirit... it's unbreakable."
Aldean then went onto perform Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down," also honoring the singer who passed away at the age of 66 earlier this week after suffering cardiac arrest.
The tragic events in Las Vegas have led to another call for new gun control laws in the US.
Families looking to locate missing loved ones after the Las Vegas shootings are encouraged to call (00)1-866-535-5654.
From: Digital Spy