Route 91 Harvest
Singer/songwriter Dustin Lynch performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the MGM Resorts Village on October 5, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada Getty

Police have confirmed that at least 20 people have been killed and over 100 injured following the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Las Vegas.

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The atrocity occurred on what was a busy Sunday evening (1 October), with thousands gathered for the final night of the music event, which takes its name from the iconic Las Vegas Boulevard and is in partnership with casino company MGM Resorts.

Before the show turned deadly, music fans had been enjoying a live performance from final headliner Jason Aldean — best known for the multi-platinum album My Kinda Party.

Country music star Jake Owen, who opened the event, heard shots being fired near Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. He tweeted, "Gun shots!!! Vegas. Pray to god. Love you guys. Love you Pearl."

The 36-year-old entertainer also described what had transpired as "the most unimaginable event tonight" and assured fans that he was ok.

Since its inception in 2014, the annual three-day event sees country music heavyweights take to the stage to perform some of their greatest hits surrounded by the neon lights of Vegas. Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and Jason Aldean are just a few of the names that have joined the line-up in recent years.

Located on the Las Vegas Strip near the Mandalay Bay hotel, a former parking lot has been turned into an open-air concert venue with a capacity of 30,000.

Tickets for the general admission for the entire weekend costs festival goers $210 (£157) and there are no single day passes sold for the concert.

Launching the event back in 2014, Brian O'Connell, Live Nation president of country touring said it was the "next step in the evolution of Live Nation's fan and artist-friendly festival family."