Emotional Day For Country Radio Stations Around The Country
DALLAS (CBS11) - It's been an emotional day for country music radio stations and show hosts who have been hearing stories of survival after news of the Las Vegas mass shooting.
It was hard for Mark "Hawkeye" Louis, radio host at 96.3 KSCS, to go to work Monday morning. He said there were times when he nearly broke down.
"It was definitely a challenge. Our duty today was just telling the unfolding story," said Hawkeye.
He doesn't know anyone who got hurt, but country music fans who called in, said they did.
"One woman told us how she went to her car. She finally made it out to her car and there were people hiding underneath," said Hawkeye.
The country music community is offering its deepest prayers and sympathies for the victims in Las Vegas.
"It's support, just shock and just sadness [that] would probably be the three different reactions we've been seeing from stars in the country music world," said Hawkeye.
He said a friend of his was backstage when gunfire whizzed past him.
"Everybody thought it was just fireworks or some sort of pyrotechnics. He thought the same thing till he saw bullets literally go right in front of his feet," said Hawkeye. "He said it was chaos. People running in any direction - the safest place to go."
It's difficult to wrap your mind and your heart around this. Especially when the tight-knit country community feels more like family.
"It's very hard to keep my composure. I told my co-host there were times I just wanted to cry," said Hawkeye.
Hawkeye is asking listeners to donate to the Las Vegas Victims Fund on GoFundMe.