Show Rundown: October 2, 2017
PHOTOS: Cocktober Opens With the Bang of a Gong and the Cast of Naked Boys Singing
Sarah Silverman Returns: Her Near-Fatal Illness, Funny Facts About Squirrels, and Dating Michael Sheen Long-Distance
SiriusXM’s Storme Warren Gives Howard His Firsthand Account of the Las Vegas Shooting
SiriusXM’s Storme Warren Gives Howard His Firsthand Account of the Las Vegas Shooting
“Suddenly you felt more vulnerable than you’ve ever felt like in your life,” he says
SiriusXM host Storme Warren called in to the Stern Show Monday morning to offer his firsthand account of the Las Vegas shooting, only hours after being forced to duck for cover amidst the terrifying event.
A gunman opened fire Sunday night from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay as the 22,000-strong audience of the Route 91 Harvest Festival cheered on country star Jason Aldean. At least 58 people were killed and more than 200 were injured.
SiriusXM staff were present at the event as it was exclusively broadcast on The Highway channel.
Safe in Vegas. Heartbroken and shattered at the events of a few hours ago. Praying for all.
— storme warren (@stormewarren) October 2, 2017
Storme Warren was standing onstage with country artist Jake Owen as Aldean performed his set — that’s when the bullets began to fly.
“We thought it was a pyrotechnic glitch,” Storme told Howard. “And then when the long volley came after that … we knew that something was really wrong,” he explained.
Storme said that once it became clear the crowd was under attack, Jason Aldean’s team ushered him from the stage and turned off the sound to alert the audience of the danger in a professional manner.
But even with the threat evident, it wasn’t immediately clear where the gunman was or where they might find safety. “You stand like a deer in the headlights,” he said. As bullets continued to hit the stage, a mere 10 feet in front of him, Storme and those around him dove off and took cover behind a cement block.
“Every time we thought [the gunfire] would stop, there’d be a pause and you realize this guy is just reloading,” he recalled. “Suddenly you felt more vulnerable than you’ve ever felt like in your life.”
As the attack seemed to die down, Storme, country singer Chris Young, and a group of others heroically made their way through the crowd trying to help as many people as they could.
“If I’m going to put a silver lining on it, I’m going to put it to the country music fans and to the first responders,” he said. “There is humanity out there and there’s good people.”
Hear Storme’s full account of the night (below).