A country music fan’s cover of Cole Swindell’s song You Should Be Here has gone viral after they were killed in the Las Vegas massacre.
Brennan Stewart, of Las Vegas, was at the Route 91 Harvest Festival on Sunday with his girlfriend, Gia Capri Lantuono, when gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on crowds from his hotel room in the Mandalay Bay across the street.
The couple got separated in the panic, but Lantuono says she saw her boyfriend get hit. Cops later confirmed Stewart was killed, along with 57 other festival goers, and more than 500 people were injured in what was the worst mass shooting in American history.
The 30-year-old was a huge country music fan and would often share videos of himself performing acoustic covers of his favorite artists, including Aldean’s A Little More Summertime and Swindell’s hit song You Should Be Here – written in 2015 in tribute to his father who passed away while he was on tour.
Now Stewart’s family and friends are sharing his cover, which he posted on October 4, 2016, in honor of Stewart.
Country music fan Brennan Stewart’s cover of Cole Swindell’s song You Should Be Here has gone viral after he was killed in the Las Vegas massacre
Brennan Stewart, of Las Vegas, (pictured performing the cover in a video on Facebook) was at the Route 91 Harvest Festival when gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on crowds from his hotel room in the Mandalay Bay across the street
Lyrics include: ‘If I had just one wish it’d, be that you didn’t have to miss this. You should be here.’
Video of Stewart’s cover has now been viewed and shared hundreds of thousands of times.
Swindell has not commented on the cover but has passed on his ‘prayers’ to all the victims of the shooting.
On Tuesday, Stewart’s family released a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal saying the Stewart loved music and ‘rarely missed an opportunity to attend a country concert.’
‘Brennan made close friends quickly; was loved and will be missed greatly by family and friends, but his memory will live on,’ the statement read.
Cops later confirmed Stewart was killed, along with 57 other festival goers, and more than 500 people were injured in what was the worst mass shooting in American history
Hundreds of rounds of automatic gunfire were reported by witnesses on the scene; one woman in the Mandalay Bay said that there was a shooter on the 32nd floor, and that they had killed a security guard
Lantuono shared a link to a GoFundMe page to raise money in honor of Stewart the ‘proceeds will go to support his passion which was music.’
‘I am so grateful for everyone who has reached out and wants to help in any way possible, and I am so grateful for his family,’ she added. ‘They are amazing people and have shown nothing but support and open arms to me, my friends and family.’
Stewart’s friend Brian Haverkamp, who said he only learned that his pal had gone to the concert at around midnight on the evening of the shooting, described him as someone who would always had a smile for his friends.
‘He was always there for other people and just making sure everyone was happy and feeling good inside,’ he said.
Another friend wrote om Facebook: ‘I miss you man, a brother taken to soon. You were family, a high spirit, and a joy to everyone as soon as we saw your face.
‘You should have never left like this but you will never leave my heart.’
‘Brennan Stewart you will live on in those who were left behind. Although you’re gone from sight you live on in our memories.. I love you B!!’ added Kimberly Carlin.
Swindell’s hit song You Should Be Here was written in 2015 in tribute to his father who passed away while he was on tour. He was not commented on Stewart’s cover
