Aaron Spears recalls horror of explosion at Manchester show

Ariana Grande‘s drummer Aaron Spears  is recalling the horrifying moment a bomb went off at Grande’s May 22 show in Manchester, England a blast that ultimately killed more than 20 and injured close to 60. Many children and young people are among the victims. Aaron Spears, who was heading back to his dressing room when a 22-year-old suicide bomber exacted the attack, remembers in a new Instagram post the terror of hearing the blast and the intensity of the many screams that followed.

“We could hear people panicking,” Spears began. “There was all kinds of speculation as to what was going on…Like 5 minutes after getting to the room, security came in and informed us that we had to evacuate the building immediately.” Spears said it took awhile for the band to realize the severity of the situation, but once reality hit, a sense of sadness eclipsed the alarm and anxiety.

“It’s so heartbreaking because so many little ones attend our shows,” he noted. “I just keep thinking about them…I’m extremely thankful that no one on the touring crew was physically hurt but this painful memory and the weight associated with the lives lost will live with us all forever…I’m still just in disbelief….It’s so surreal.” The explosion has reportedly left Grande devastated, and amounted to the suspension of her Dangerous Woman Tour.