Def Leppard Drummer Speaks Out After Florida Attack

Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen has spoken out after being attacked by a teenager outside a hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last week.

In a statement released to ABC News, Allen, 59, said he was focused on his recovery. The musician, who lost his left arm in a near-fatal crash in 1984 and had to relearn how to play the drums, sustained a head injury when 19-year-old Max Hartley allegedly approached him from behind and threw him to the ground outside the Four Seasons in Fort Lauderdale on March 13. The attack took place a day after Def Leppard performed at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel, according to ABC News, citing police.

"Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support. Your love and prayers are truly helping," the statement read. "My wife Lauren [Monroe] was thankfully not with me at the time of the incident. We are together now, and working on recovering in a safe space," Allen continued, adding they are focused on "healing for everyone involved."

"We ask you to join us in our effort to move from confusion and shock to compassion and empathy," the statement read. "We understand this act of violence can be triggering for so many people. To all of the fans, veterans and first responders in our global community, we are thinking of you all. Together with love, we can all get through these difficult times."

During the attack, a woman who tried to intervene was also injured after Hartley reportedly began hitting her and dragging her by her hair. Hartley fled but was later arrested when police found him breaking car windows in a nearby parking lot, according to a police report.

He was charged with two counts of battery, four counts of criminal mischief, and abusing an elderly or disabled adult, according to the arrest report, which noted that Allen provided a sworn statement to police saying he wants to prosecute Hartley.

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