Chris Young was in Las Vegas, Nev., when the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting occurred on Oct. 1, killing more than 50 people and wounding more than 500 people. The singer, who was backstage when the gunman opened fire, wasn't performing at the event, but he'd made a last-minute decision to head to Vegas to see his friends, including his tour boss, Jason Aldean, take the stage.

Young admits that being at the Route 91 Harvest Festival during the shooting was a terrifying experience, but he refuses to let fear dictate his life, which is why he decided to take the stage again just a few days later.

"I think that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to play Fresno, [Calif.], on [the following] Wednesday: I don't want to wait to get back into this. I just want to go play," Young tells The Boot. "A concert is supposed to be a safe space for people, and it’s supposed to be something to let them have a good time and forget maybe about the world for a little while. I don’t want to get ever to a point where anybody would be able to take that away from anyone."

Remembering the Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting Victims

Before his Fresno concert, Young shared a message to his fans via a video he filmed on his bus. In the clip, he says, “People lost their lives, people were injured, and I’m so heartbroken over that. My thoughts are with those families and everyone who had to go through that ordeal. That should never happen at a concert." The video, the singer shares, was both for his fans and a reminder to his fellow artists to not give into fear.

"I think it’s an important thing," Young concludes. "And, it’s important for everybody to keep playing."

Young recently announced he will headline his own Losing Sleep Tour in 2018, with Kane Brown and Lanco serving as his opening acts.

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