By Elizabeth Valentin
The biggest mass shooting in recent U.S. history took place on Sunday Oct. 1, when over 50 people were killed and over 500 were wounded in Las Vegas. A shooter opened fire from the window of 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino onto a crowd of over 2,000 attendees at the Route 91 Harvest Festival.
This tragic event has left Americans shocked, saddened, and confused. Among these emotions, many Americans are suffering from concert anxiety in the wake of the event. This attack at a music festival comes only months after the terrorist attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England. Within recent years, there was also the terrorist attack at the Bataclan in Paris, France in 2015 and the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida in 2016. As these attacks occur more often, people are left feeling anxious to attend events that are meant to be fun and carefree.
In the wake of this tragic event, celebrities have taken it upon themselves to express their condolences to the victims and families of Sunday’s shooting as well as to raise awareness about the issues surrounding gun control.
Jason Aldean was on stage performing the moment that the gunshots began to rain down upon the crowd. The next day, he took to social media to express what he was going through after the event. The country singer said that he was experiencing a range of emotions.
“Something has changed in this country and in this world lately that is scary to see. This world is becoming the kind of place I am afraid to raise my children in,” he said in an Instagram post. “At the end of the day we aren’t Democrats or Republicans, Whites or Blacks, Men or Women. We are all humans and we are all Americans and it’s time to start acting like it and stand together as one!”
Ariana Grande was another celebrity who spoke out regarding the event. She was in a similar position as Aldean this summer when a terrorist detonated a bomb in the lobby of a concert arena in Manchester after her concert, killing 22 people. She took to Twitter, saying “My heart is breaking for Las Vegas. We need love, unity, peace, gun control, and people to look at this and call this what it is, terrorism.”
In tribute to those who lost their lives, Miley Cyrus performed two songs on “The Tonight Show.” The first song that she performed was “No Freedom,” explaining later on the show that she chose this song because she strongly believes that we cannot stop attending concerts out of fear of an event like this. She also said “I think that right now we’re supposed to be the land of the free, but we can’t have freedom if we’re constantly living in fear.” She later played her song “The Climb” to end the show for the night.
During her Witness tour in Madison Square Garden, Katy Perry paused her show and had the audience introduce themselves to a stranger near them. “Turn to your right or your left. If you don’t know the person next to you introduce yourself and say hello,” she said. “And if you have the guts, just say ‘I love you.’” The crowd erupted as people said “I love you” to a total stranger. “No one’s going to steal our joy,” said Perry.
Coldplay also responded to Sunday’s events at their concert. They requested a moment of silence. The venue’s lights were shut off and the lights from the crowd’s cellphones illuminated the room. The band then took to Twitter to recall the moment of silence, saying “When words fail, sometimes quiet is the most eloquent.”
Taylor Swift showed her support for a police station in Los Angeles by sending several flower arrangements. One of their officers was wounded with a gunshot to the knee during Sunday’s shooting. This officer is in stable condition in the hospital.
On her show, Ellen DeGeneres expressed that she was happy to be with her audience who filled the room with love. “We were just in Las Vegas a few weeks ago and when you think of Las Vegas, it’s a place to escape and have fun and you never imagine anything like this could ever happen,” she said.
Jimmy Kimmel, a Las Vegas native, started his show with tears running down his face. Through his tears, he spoke strongly of what our government should be doing to address gun laws. He explained that as a result of the shooting, “this morning we have children without parents, fathers without sons, mothers without daughters, we lost two police officers, we lost a nurse from Tennessee, a special-ed teacher from a local school here in Manhattan Beach,” said Kimmel. “And it’s the kind of thing that makes you want to throw up or give up.”
“We have 59 people dead and it wasn’t their time either, so I think that now is the time for debate,” he said in response to those who believe this is not a time for political debate regarding gun control.
Kimmel also pointed out that in February, President Trump signed a bill to make it easier for people with mental illness to obtain a gun. He also showed an image of the 56 senators who voted against bills that would have resulted in stricter gun laws days after the shooting in Orlando, which was at the time the most deadly mass shooting in U.S. history, All of these people have sent their thoughts and prayers to the victims of Sunday’s events in Las Vegas. “They should be praying for God to forgive them for letting this gun lobby run this country,” he said. “With all due respect, your thoughts and your prayers are insufficient.”
This shooting has impacted all Americans in some fashion. However, the sentiment shared by these and several other celebrities who have voiced their thoughts after Sunday’s events shows that love is what should be spread in a time like this. While love is needed, the issues of gun laws cannot be ignored during this time. It is time for Americans to come together and stand as one unit.
It was reported by Billboard that concert anxiety is becoming increasingly common as events such as the one in Las Vegas also become increasingly common. Billboard spoke to psychologist, Dr. Joan M. Cook, who explained that while fears are understandable after situations like this, it is important to take care of yourself and your mental state.
She believes that it is important to remember that events like this, although appear to happen more often, are incredibly unlikely to happen in the venue that you are in, out of the thousands of venues across the country, and on the day that you decide to go to a show. Although these statistics may not offer much comfort, it is important to keep in mind.
Cook also talked about how a reaction to this anxiety may look different for different people. She believes that most people should not let the fear of something wrong happening stop them from attending an event. These people should make a mental note of emergency exits once they enter a venue, which can make the person feel more in control if a dangerous situation were to emerge. Other people, according to Cook, might not be able to enjoy the show due to their anxiety. Cook says that these people should not attend if they feel like their anxiety would take away from the overall experience of the show.
