Jason Aldean Reflects on Las Vegas Shooting Trauma
Jason Aldean opened up about how profoundly the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting in Las Vegas impacted him, noting that it took time for him to work through the trauma. The country music artist spoke on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast and reminisced about the night a gunman opened fire on an audience while he was on stage.
“It was just another festival, something we’d done countless times before,” Aldean remarked. “But this was entirely unexpected.” He expressed heartbreak over the lives lost and the suffering caused that night.
“It’s one of those events that will always tie us to that city,” he added.
“It was a terrible experience,” Aldean stated as he described the impact on his family and friends.
After finally getting home the next day, Aldean recounted the heavy emotions. “You just feel relieved to be back home… My mom was crying, and my oldest daughter was panicking in school, worried someone was coming for us. All the details were still unfolding,” he shared.
Initially, Aldean struggled to come to terms with the shooting due to his busy schedule. Just a week later, he was back on tour and even performed on “Saturday Night Live.”
“It’s always been a dream to be on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ It’s iconic. But I really wished it hadn’t happened under those circumstances. We were in shock,” he reflected.
In the aftermath, he flew back to Las Vegas to visit those injured in the attack, describing it as a challenging experience. “Seeing them still in pain… it was surreal,” he noted.
Two months after the shooting, he welcomed his son into the world, which, he said, offered his family a distraction from the nightmarish news. However, once things quieted down, the weight of the events began to settle in.
“I remember having a breakdown at home after my son was born. It was all too much,” Aldean admitted.
“Now it’s easier to speak about it. Back then? It was tough; we were still trying to make sense of it,” he said. He also mentioned his bass player’s brush with danger, recalling how a bullet had lodged in his instrument during the performance.
Feeling both thankful and guilty, Aldean shared, “For my family and crew, we were incredibly fortunate—none of us were hurt. And while that’s something to be grateful for, there’s this lingering guilt. It’s a heavy burden,” he explained.
“I found myself breaking down, thinking about all the lives impacted, both those lost and those in my circle—especially with my wife being eight months pregnant,” he reflected.
Aldean grappled with the overwhelming guilt, realizing, “Those people were there for us, and then this tragedy strikes—it’s a heavy weight to carry.”
“You just don’t expect something like that. If you’re trained for combat, I suppose you’d be ready, but when you’re up there with just a guitar, it’s a different story entirely,” he concluded.
