The musician released a passionate plea for gun control after his experiences at the festival when the mass shooting occurred.
Caleb Keeter, guitarist for the Josh Abbot Band, is opening up about the tragic mass shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday night, and adding his name to the growing list of celebrities calling for gun control reform.
Keeter was performing with the band at the three-day Route 91 Harvest Festival, where 59 people were killed and over 520 were injured in the deadliest mass shooting in American history.
The guitarist released a statement on Monday where he opened up about how his opinions on the controversial issue of gun control have dramatically changed in the wake of the tragedy.
"I’ve been a proponent of the 2nd amendment my entire life," Keeter announced in his statement, which he posted to Twitter. "Until the events of last night. I cannot express how wrong I was."
"We actually have members of our crew with CHL licenses, and legal firearms on the bus. They were useless. We couldn’t touch them for fear police might think we were part of the massacre and shoot us. A small group (or one man) laid waste to a city with dedicated, fearless police officers desperately trying to help, because of access to an insane amount of fire power. Enough is enough," he continued.
Keeter went on to declare, "We need gun control RIGHT. NOW. My biggest regret is that I stubbornly didn’t realize it until my brothers on the road and myself were threatened by it."
"We are unbelievably fortunate to not be among the number of victims killed or seriously wounded by this maniac," Keeter continued.
Keeter also responded to critics who called him out on not having a change of heart until it affected him personally.
"It's frustrating that some don't call the fire dept until the blaze is at their own front door. But we need more ppl on our side. Welcome," one user wrote. Keeter replied, "You are all absolutely correct. I saw this happening for years and did nothing. But I'd like to do what I can now."
Josh Abbott was among the first performers at the festival to tweet about the shooting as the tragic events unfolded, and informed everyone that he and his bandmates were safe.
Authorities say the horrifying massacre was carried out by a gunman who opened fire on the attendees at the outdoor concert during from the window of his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay resort, located across the street from the concert venue.
In the wake of the mass shooting, celebrities and public figures across the country have come out to strongly advocate for gun control reform and stricter firearm laws in an effort to combat gun-related deaths in America.
Watch the video below to hear some of the most passionate pleas and demands for stronger gun control legislation.