Jason Aldean mourns the loss of his longtime security guard, who protected him during Route 91 shooting

ABC/Eric McCandless

Jason Aldean is mourning the loss of his security guard, Ryan Fleming, a longtime friend who stood by the singer during some of his most difficult moments.

On social media, Jason looked back at his long relationship with his guard, whom he fondly refers to as Rhino. The pair were friends who grew up together in Georgia, Jason details, and Ryan worked as a bouncer at the singer’s favorite bar when they were both young adults.

“When it came time for me to hire a security guy that I knew would always look out for me and my family, there was no question for me that person was Rhino,” Jason goes on to say. “He came out and traveled the world with us and for years if you saw me, Rhino wasn’t too far away.”

In fact, it was Fleming who stepped in during the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting, when a gunman opened fire on the crowd during Jason’s headlining set.

“He was the person who pulled me offstage during the Route 91 shooting and put his life in danger to take care of me and my crew,” Jason reflects. “He was a good man and an even better friend.”

Fleming’s date and cause of death were not immediately available.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021 at 5:00PM by Carena Liptak Permalink