"Here we are again - in the aftermath of another terrible, inexplicably shocking and painful tragedy. This time - in Las Vegas. Which happens to be my hometown," the late-night host's voice shook as he began Monday's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'.
He delivered a touching monologue about the mass shooting in Las Vegas that killed at least 59 people and injured hundreds.
"Of course, we pray for the victims - and for their families and friends and we wonder 'why' even though there's probably no way to ever know 'why' a human being would do something like this to other human beings who were at a concert having fun listening to music," Kimmel continued.
"As a result of that this morning, we have children that are without parents and fathers that are without sons, mothers without daughters. We lost two police officers, we lost a nurse from Tennessee, a special ed teacher from a local school here in Manhattan Beach [California]," the father of four also said in his monologue, later noting the shootings in Orlando, Newtown, Aurora and San Bernadino as well as Lawrence, Kansas.
"It's the kind of thing that makes you want to throw up. Or give up," Kimmel said.
"It's too much to even process. All these devastated families who now have to live with this pain forever because one person with a violent and insane voice in his head managed to stockpile a collection of high-powered rifles - and used them to shoot people."
'Late Night' host Seth Meyers also began his show by sending his condolences to the families of the victims, and commending first responders and heroic residents who "risked their lives to save stranger."
"It always seems like the worst displays of humanity in this country are immediately followed by the best, and then sadly, that is followed by no action at all. And then it repeats itself," Meyers said, before sending a pointed message to Congress.
"I would just like to say - are there no steps we can take as a nation to prevent gun violence? Or is this just how it is, and how it's going to continue to be?"
He questioned Congress members' reasoning for repeatedly insisting "now is not the time" to talk about gun violence, adding, "What you really mean is, there is never a time to talk about it."
Meyers ended his message with a plea for transparency: "If you're not willing to do anything, just be honest and tell us. ... If it's going to be thoughts and prayers from here on out, the least you can do is be honest about that."
-AN