Jimmy Kimmel Fights Back Tears In Heartbreaking Monologue About Las Vegas Shooting
Jimmy Kimmel struggled to fight back tears as he addressed the shooting in his hometown Las Vegas that killed at least 59 people and injured 527. It is now known as the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, reports the Washington Post. The late-night talk show host’s emotional speech lasted roughly 10 minutes.
“Here we are again, in the aftermath of another terrible, inexplicably shocking and painful tragedy,” said Kimmel, who was visibly shaken even at the beginning of his emotional monologue on Monday night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live.
“Of course, we pray for the victims – and for their families and friends and we wonder ‘why’ even though there’s probably no way to ever know ‘why’ a human being would do something like this to other human beings who were at a concert having fun listening to music,” he continued.
When he was nine, Jimmy Kimmel moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, from Brooklyn, New York. He attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for a year, and then in 2013, he received an honorary degree from UNLV.
The father of four also noted in his monologue the shootings in Orlando, Newtown, Aurora, San Bernardino, and Lawrence, Kansas.
He addressed the loss of lives in the Las Vegas shooting, saying that it’s just too much to process that it makes him want to throw up or just give up.
“As a result of that this morning, we have children that are without parents and fathers that are without sons, mothers without daughters. We lost two police officers, we lost a nurse from Tennessee, a special ed teacher from a local school here in Manhattan Beach [California],” he said.
“It’s too much to even process. All these devastated families who now have to live with this pain forever because one person with a violent and insane voice in his head managed to stockpile a collection of high-powered rifles – and used them to shoot people.”
Jimmy Kimmel, openly weeping, begs America to address mass shootings: https://t.co/LStVRpC0QX pic.twitter.com/xaSFPRRto3
— Slate (@Slate) October 3, 2017
Sheriff says 59 dead, 527 injured in Las Vegas shooting; guns, ammunition, explosives found at shooter's home. https://t.co/RdHTyqsEd9
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 2, 2017
On Sunday night, gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on a crowd of more than 22,000 at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, a three-day musical event that was on its final day. Jason Aldean was performing when gunshots were suddenly heard all over the stadium.
The store, Guns & Guitars, confirmed that Stephen Paddock was a customer and bought firearms there https://t.co/mzPbKHZ6yQ
— NPR (@NPR) October 2, 2017
Kimmel said in his speech that he vehemently disagrees with people who say that nothing can be done about gun violence in the country.
“When someone with a beard attacks us, we tap phones, we invoke travel bans, we build walls. We take every possible precaution to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “But when an American buys a gun and kills other Americans then there’s nothing we can do about that [because] the second amendment, I guess. Our forefathers wanted us to have AK-47s is the argument, I assume.”
Jimmy Kimmel also called out U.S. President Donald Trump, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, and some lawmakers for their complicity in the Las Vegas shooting, addressing their support of a bill in February that made it easier for some mentally ill people to buy guns legally. He remarked that they allowed it to happen “because the NRA has their balls in a money clip.”
Kimmel also expressed snide remarks targeting them for offering their thoughts and prayers via social media.
“They should be praying. They should be praying for God to forgive them for letting the gun lobby run this country.”
Kimmel then presented photos of 56 senators on the big screen behind him.
“Here are faces of the Senators who, days after the shooting in Orlando, voted against a bill that would have closed those loopholes. These are the 56 Senators who did not want to do anything about that.”
He also pointed out that 90 percent of Democrats and 77 percent of Republicans are in favor of background checks at gun shows, and that 89 percent of Republicans and Democrats support restricting gun ownership for the mentally ill.
“But not this gang! They voted against both of those things,” Kimmel said, as he directed the audience’s attention again to the photos of 56 senators behind him.
“So, with all due respect: Your thoughts and your prayers are insufficient. By the way, the House of Representatives will be voting on a piece of legislation this week. It’s a bill to legalize the sale of silencers. For guns. This is what they’re working on,” he said.
Jimmy Kimmel then apologized to viewers for his emotional monologue.
“I want this to be a comedy show,” he said. “I hate talking about stuff like this. I just want to give you something to laugh about at night. But that has become increasingly difficult lately. And lately, it feels like someone opened a window into hell.”
[Featured Image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
