FOX 56 was told Rockcastle Riverside has always been a safe haven for festival goers, and organizers hope that doesn’t change after shots rang out only six miles away from festival grounds.
It started as an ordinary weekend for Michelle Sawyers, with Rockcastle Riverside management. She told FOX 56 that hundreds of people packed the campground nestled in the heart of the Daniel Boone National Forest, enjoying its Rock Rebellion music festival.
Saturday’s I-75 shooting hit close to home for Kentucky music festival organizers when shots rang out only six miles from the campground (FOX 56)
Law enforcement searched the campground that evening and Sawyers said that campers stayed put and remained vigilant.
“We know everyone in attendance, and if I don’t, somebody there does,” she said. “All night we made sure that nobody there seemed out of place, trying to blend in with the crowd.”
Although it was a scary situation, Sawyers emphasized that as they look forward to October for the annual Moonshiner’s Ball, they’re prepared now more than ever.
Rockcastle Riverside would like to thank KSP, ATF, Livingston Fire Department, and EMS for the response and protection during the active shooter event. We learned a lot through this experience and want to assure everyone that the venue is a safer place because of the events this weekend.
We were in the final day of Rock Rebellion, a two day music festival, when we got word of the situation. We would like to thank the hosts for helping keep the community calm and thank the patrons or trusting us with their safety. The situation could have easily turned into panic and caused more tragedy. We’re extremely proud of staff, crew, and festival goers for being responsible during this event.
We will not let the fear this man caused deter us from hosting music festivals. Instead, we educate ourselves, prepare for all scenarios, and move forward.
“I didn’t leave that weekend until all of my campers were gone,” Sawyers said. “I locked up all our resources before I left. Even put a lock on the water spigot, because if he’s still out there, he’s not welcome here.”
Authorities continue to comb through the Laurel County wilderness in search for the suspected gunman and there’s a $25,000 reward out for information that leads to his arrest.
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