Ariana Grande‘s manager Scooter Braun expressed his condolences after the deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday, October 1.
“I don’t really have words this morning. I am deeply saddened. And as horrifying as it is to say I can’t tell you I’m surprised. Our greatest challenges are ahead of us,” the businessman, 36, wrote in a lengthy Twitter statement on Monday, October 2. “What took place in Las Vegas last night should never happen. What took place in Manchester should never happen. What took place in Charlottesville should never happen. But they are all happening. And ALL of them are terrorist attacks. They strike fear in our ability to live our lives. They all make us question taking our children, our friends, our loved ones… to public events that are supposed to bring us joy… in fear of devastation. They are all attacks on our way of life and our way of love.”
As previously reported, at least 58 people were killed and 515 injured when a gunman opened fire on a crowd of country music festivalgoers from the 32nd floor of the Mandala Bay Resort and Casino. The attack is now the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history and came just four months after a suicide bomber killed 22 people and injured 250 others at Grande’s concert in Manchester, England.
“So first let me say my heart breaks for all those affected in Las Vegas,” Braun continued. “Nothing we do can bring back your loved ones and I am so sorry. For those in the hospital recovering we are with you. Keep fighting. And for all of us… who are we? What will we choose to do in response? Will we just instagram and move on? Will we think this is about a hashtag with the word #vegas in it? Or will we wait until the next one affects us? THIS ONE affects us. #LasVegas is ALL of us. This is an attack on your friends, your family, your kids, your way of life.”
The talent manager continued, “So as we think about those lost and those hurting this morning… what do you and I owe them? We owe them our courage. We owe them our faith. We owe them our strength and our spirit to rise up and come together and demand not only better now but better Tomorrow.”
Braun then reflected upon the One Love Manchester benefit concert that was held in June. “When I was in Manchester I witnessed something defiant,” he wrote. “At the end of the One Love Manchester show… only 2 weeks after the attack and less than 24 hours since the london attack…when the cameras were off… the crowd of 55,000 brave souls started to sing. [They] echoed the words ‘Manchester we’re strong, we’re strong, we’re strong. We’ll keep singing our songs, our songs, our songs!’ This repeated for 15 minutes as they exited. Defiance in the face of fear. Las Vegas we’re strong. We’re strong. We’re strong. We’ll keep singing our songs…Together. RIP to those lost.”
Grande, 24, also reacted to the Las Vegas shooting, tweeting, “My heart is breaking for Las Vegas. We need love, unity, peace, gun control & for people to look at this & call this what it is = terrorism.”
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