Needless to say, Monday, Oct. 2 is an emotional day for all Americans. As of this writing, the number of people confirmed dead in Sunday night’s mass shooting in Las Vegas has risen to 58, with at least an additional 515 injured.
More:Jason Aldean & the Country Music Community Send Prayers to Las Vegas
There are no words that can ease the pain and the terror in the wake of such an immense and horrifying tragedy. As news was still breaking this morning, Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest became visibly emotional as they discussed the shooting on Live.
“It’s one of those days where there’s so much bad news in the news, so it’s very hard for us to come out and be uplifting and our typical bouncy Monday selves,” Ripa said.
Seacrest added, “I too woke up this morning to that news. It’s awful to say, but when I flip on the TV, sometimes first thing in the morning, I pause and I think, ‘I hope there’s no tragic news overnight.’ This morning was some of the worst we’ve ever seen.”
More:3 Ways to Help Victims of the Las Vegas Shooting
Before he even got to work on Live, Seacrest was already live on the radio, taking calls from people who were present at the country music festival where hundreds were shot at from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel nearby. He described the stories he heard of people taking cover behind cars, barriers and anything else they could find.
“There are no words to describe the pain that these families are going through that have lost loved ones, so we think of all of you during this moment,” he continued, his voice beginning to hitch with emotion. “You go to these places and these shows to escape reality, to celebrate. And to think that you have to be afraid to go to a concert in this day and age in our country — it’s awful.”
For Ripa, the real horror is the idea that nowhere is safe from this kind of violence in America today. This is the most deadly shooting in the country’s history, but the last most deadly shooting took place only a year ago, when 49 people were killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
“My daughter loves music festivals. So many of our kids do,” Ripa said, going on to talk about how she and her kids always have a contingency plan in place should some kind of tragic event occur where they are.
“My mom was telling me that when I was a teenager, it never occurred to her to warn me about what to do in case of something like this,” she continued. “Now it occurs to me every time my kids leave the house.”
More:How to Talk to Your Kids About Scary Things
That kind of thinking is so necessary and so real, and we truly have no words.
Ripa wrapped up by saying, to applause from the show’s audience, “So many families devastated, and we are praying for you — all of you.”
Leave a Comment