Jimmy Kimmel started his show not with jokes or laughs, but with a serious 10-minute speech on the mass shooting in his hometown of Las Vegas.
"It's the kind of thing that makes you want to throw up or give up. It's too much to even process," Kimmel said as he choked back tears. "All of these devastated families who now have to live with this pain forever because one person with a violent and insane voice in his head managed to stockpile a collection of high-powered rifles and use them to shoot people."
Kimmel then criticized the response from people who argued that there's simply nothing we can do to prevent mass shootings and made a plea with Americans to fight for "common sense" gun legislation.
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"I don't know why our so-called leaders continue to allow this to happen? Or, maybe a better question, why do we continue to allow this to happen?" Kimmel posited, later adding, "I think now is the time for a political debate."
Watch the powerful speech below:
The tear-jerking monologue came just hours after a 64-year-old domestic terrorist carried out what is reported to be the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history in Las Vegas. As of press time, at least 59 people were killed and more than 500 were injured after the gunman opened fire on Route 91 Harvest country music festival concertgoers on Sunday night.
The shooter, identified as Stephen Paddock, reportedly had "an arsenal of 42 guns," according to CNN. Police found 23 in his hotel room and another 19 in his home in Mesquite, Nevada.
As friends and family members continue to wait to learn if their loved ones are alive, thousands of people across the country are doing what they can to help the victims by donating money, spreading mental health resources, and calling their elected officials to urge the passage of stricter gun control laws. In Nevada, hundreds of people have donated blood and supplies, like food and water.
Kimmel's outpouring of love for the victims is the latest in celebrity responses. Throughout the day, stars Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Bella Hadid, Caleb Keeter, Maren Morris, Jason Aldean, and many others offered their sympathies and outrage as yet another mass shooting took the lives of innocent civilians.