Country star Eric Church blames NRA and gun lobbyists for Las Vegas mass shooting

Eric Church, one of the headliners at the Route 91 festival in Las Vegas — the scene of the 2017 massacre known as the deadliest mass shooting by an individual in modern U.S. history — is blaming the NRA for the attacks.

Church performed at the festival two nights before the shooting, and the experience has changed his views on guns “a little,” he says.

While fellow country singer Jason Aldean was performing, a gunman opened fire on the crowd, killing at least 58 people.

Now Church is speaking out about the incident. While he says he considers himself a “Second Amendment guy,” referring to the right to bear arms, Church is blaming the NRA and gun lobbyists for being a “roadblock” to gun safety, according to a recent interview with Rolling Stone.

“There are some things we can’t stop,” Church told the magazine. “Like the disgruntled kid who takes his dad’s shotgun and walks into a high school. But we could have stopped the guy in Vegas.”

The “Desperate Man” singer added: “I blame the lobbyists. And the biggest in the gun world is the NRA.”

“I don’t care who you are — you shouldn’t have that kind of power over elected officials. To me it’s cut-and-dried: The gun-show [loophole] would not exist if it weren’t for the NRA, so at this point in time, if I was an NRA member, I would think I had more of a problem than the solution,” Church said. “I would question myself real hard about what I wanted to be in the next three, four, five years.”

He went on to add, “I don’t think our forefathers ever thought the right to bear arms was that.”

Fans of the country music star are speaking up on social media.

Church is also being compared to the Dixie Chicks on social media. On March 20, 2003, the country music band performed in London, and while playing its opening song, “Travelin’ Soldier,” one of the Dixie Chicks commented on the invasion of Iraq.

“Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas,” singer Natalie Maines said, referring to former President George W. Bush.

Many fans shunned the country superstars after their comment.

However, others are supporting the country superstar on social media following his comments on the NRA.

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