Punk Band NOFX Issues Formal Apology For Las Vegas Shooting Comments

Punk band NOFX is feeling the heat after making several insensitive comments about the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting during a recent concert in Las Vegas. During some banter between band members while on stage, the group went on to make highly insensitive comments regarding the victims of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

“We played a song about Muslims and we didn’t get shot,” said a member of the group, with another person responding, “I guess you only get shot in Vegas if you are a country band.”

Days after losing a sponsorship deal and hearing the outcry from fans, the band has issued a formal apology for their disturbing and outrageous remarks.

“There’s no place here to backpedal. What NOFX said in Vegas was shameful,” the group wrote collectively on Facebook. “We crossed the line of civility. We can’t write songs about how people in this world need to be more decent, when we were clearly being indecent. Las Vegas has always been a welcoming city to our band, and to make light of the tragedy that occurred there was egregious.”

The group went on to say that it took several days to write the response as they wanted to soak in the damage they had caused in order to fully understand the power of their words.

“We didn’t plan or intend on saying anything so insensitive. It was off the cuff, but just as hurtful. We won’t blame it on drugs or alcohol or Ambien. That’s too easy. NOFX said it, and we own it. We made a tasteless joke. But to be clear, NOFX does not condone violence against ANY group of people, period!”

The band signed the note, “as sincere as we’ve ever been.”

Nearly eight months ago, 58 people lost their lives and hundreds were injured after a lone shooter took aim at the festival three songs into Jason Aldean’s closing set. Since then, the country community has banded together, proving to be #VegasStrong in support of the many victims from that night.