Scenes from the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival before tragedy struck

PHOTOS: Remembering the Route 91 before the gunshots Fans cheer during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. See more photos from inside the festival before tragedy struck... less PHOTOS: Remembering the Route 91 before the gunshots Fans cheer during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. See more photos from inside ... more Photo: David Becker/Getty Images Photo: David Becker/Getty Images Image 1 of / 48 Caption Close Scenes from the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival before tragedy struck 1 / 48 Back to Gallery

It was just like any other music festival in America. Guys and girls having the time of their lives seeing their favorite musical acts and sweating together in a giant open space.

Country festivals bring out a special kind of party atmosphere too. Maybe its the combination of cowboy boots and beer. The songs are always upbeat, even when they are about leaving and cheating.

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Then the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival turned into a tragedy, the worst mass shooting in U.S. history with a death toll of 59 people and hundreds of others suffering injuries of varying degrees. Festivalgoers became heroes and victims within the blink of an eye.

The images of the festival before the suspect took aim on the defenseless crowd from the 32nd floor of the adjacent Mandalay Bay hotel are alternately heartwarming and tear-inducing. These were people enjoying three days of country music, one of the most distinctly American genres of music.

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The festival was headlined on Sunday night by country music star Jason Aldean and the gunfire began during his performance in front of 22,000 people.

We can only hope that those we see in the slideshow above got out alive and unharmed, but we know that might not be the case. Even if they did survive physically unscathed, there will be mental damage from which to recover.