2018 CMAs Begins with Moment of Silence for Thousand Oaks Victims
By Taylor Fields
November 15, 2018
The 2018 CMAs kicked off with an amazing "What Makes You Country" performance from Luke Bryan, along with country stars like Luke Combs, Jon Pardi, Cole Swindell, Lindsay Ell, and more. But just before the upbeat performance, Garth Brooks took the stage to begin the night with a moment of silence for all of the victims of the recent mass shooting at Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California.
As the show opened, Garth somberly said, "On behalf of our country music community, I want to say that tonight's show is lovingly dedicated to the twelve individuals who we lost far too soon just a week ago tonight at the Borderline in Thousand Oaks, California. Tonight, let's celebrate their lives."
He added, "Let the music unite us with love in their enduring memory. So please, join me now in a moment of silence."
During the moment of silence, the names of the twelve people who lost their lives in the horrific shooting were on display.
The mass shooting at Borderline Bar & Grill occurred last weekend on November 7th when the gunman, a former Marine, opened fire in the Thousand Oaks bar. Authorities are still trying to determine his motive.
The Borderline Bar & Grill is a popular bar for country music and line dancing. Some of the patrons on the night of the shooting had previously survived the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival that happened just last year.
After the shooting, many stars of the country music community took to social media to send their messages of love and condolences to everyone affected.
Photo: Getty Images