Jason Aldean makes first public appearance since Las Vegas shooting

— -- In his first public appearance since the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Jason Aldean opened "Saturday Night Live" with a speech remembering the victims of the deadly attack and a cover of a classic hit song by the late Tom Petty.

Aldean was onstage at the Harvest 91 Festival in Las Vegas last Sunday night when gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire, killing 58 people and injuring nearly 500 others.

The country singer has posted several messages online since then, but last night he took center stage on "SNL" to comment on the tragedy.

"I'm Jason Aldean," he began. "This week, we witnessed one of the worst tragedies in American history. Like everyone, I'm struggling to understand what happened that night, and how to pick up the pieces and start to heal. So many people are hurting. They're our children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends -- they're all part of our family."

He continued, "So I want to say to them, 'We hurt for you, and we hurt with you.' But you can be sure that we're going to walk through these tough times together, every step of the way. Because when America is at its best, our bond, and our spirit, it's unbreakable."

The 40-year-old singer and his band then kicked into a song, playing the late Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down."

The rock legend died last Sunday evening, Petty's family told ABC News. He was 66.