Country star cancels shows after Vegas massacre

Country star Jason Aldean, whose last show was cut short by the deadliest shooting in modern US history, has canceled several performances out of respect for victims in Las Vegas.

The chart-topping country singer said he was calling off three dates this weekend in southern California and would resume his tour on October 12 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

"I feel like out of respect for the victims, their families and our fans, it is the right thing to do," he said of the cancellations.

"It has been an emotional time for everyone involved this week, so we plan to take some time to mourn the ones we have lost and be close with our family and friends," he said in a statement late Tuesday.

At least 58 people were killed and more than 500 injured at a country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip when 64-year-old Stephen Paddock rained down bullets from an advanced arsenal amassed in his hotel room above.

Aldean, known for songs about working-class American who feel forgotten, has called for national unity after the tragedy.

"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," the 40-year-old singer wrote earlier on Instagram.

 Source: AFP