Kimmel opened his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, with an emotionally charged speech praising the heroics of men and women and mourning the victims of the Las Vegas massacre that left at least 58 people dead.
“This morning, we have children without parents and fathers without sons, mothers without daughters,' a tearful Jimmy Kimmel said.
"We lost two police officers. We lost a nurse from Tennessee. A special-ed teacher from a local school here in Manhattan Beach.
"It’s the kind of thing that makes you want to throw up or give up. 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 use them to shoot people.”
Kimmel fervently disagreed with the argument that there is nothing that can be done about gun control because of politics or the Second Amendment.
A single white rose is illuminated by dozens of candles at a makeshift memorial on the Las Vegas Strip for the victims of a mass shooting in Las Vegas. Source: AAP
"I've been reading comments from people who say this is terrible, but there's nothing we could do about it," he added.
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"But I disagree with that - intensely. Of course, there was something we can do about it... I don't know why do our so-called leaders continue to allow this to happen? Or maybe a better question: Why do we continue to let them allow it to happen?"
The entertainment TV host turned his attention to the leaders of the nation and the National Rifle Association, challenging President Donald Trump and Congress to enforce stricter gun control laws.
Despite White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders claiming it was too early for political debate around gun control on Monday, Kimmel claimed it was 'common sense' that stricter firearm laws were enforced.
"I don't know, we have 59 innocent people dead, it wasn't their time either," Kimmel said. "So I think now is the time for political debate."
"The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, the speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, a number of other lawmakers who won’t do anything about this because the NRA has their balls in a money clip, also sent their thoughts and their prayers today — which is good," Kimmel added.
Mourners pay tribute at a makeshift memorial on the Las Vegas Strip for the victims of a mass shooting. Source: AAP
"They should be praying. They should be praying for God to forgive them for letting the gun lobby run this country. Because it is, it is so crazy.”
Kimmel showed the faces of the senators that voted against tighter gun restrictions following the Orlando shooting in 2016.
He finished his opening monologue saying his thoughts and prayers were with the Las Vegas victims and those suffering in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Irma.
The County Clark Coroner in a press conference said 58 people had died, with the shooter's death making it 59, in total at this stage.
