Two dead after crush at GloRilla concert
Two women have died and eight other people injured in a stampede following a concert at the Main Street Armory venue in Rochester, New York.
The victims – aged 33 and 35 – were caught up in a crush after the show by US rapper GloRilla ended just after 11pm on Sunday (5 March). Another woman is in a critical condition, while seven people required hospital treatment for non-life threatening injuries.
Police have acknowledged reports that gunfire was heard, causing the crowd to panic, but add that has not been confirmed.
“As people began to exit, the crowd began to surge and rushed towards the exit,” says Rochester Police Department chief David M. Smith. “Officers that were detailed outside of the venue were eventually able to make their way inside, where they located three females with significant injuries. Officers, security and EMS provided life-saving measures on the three females before they were transported to Strong Hospital.
“As the night went on, an additional seven people arrived at local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries from the event. Preliminary reports from people at the scene indicate that these injuries were caused from being trampled. We do not have any evidence of gunshots being fired or anyone being shot or stabbed.”
“Our investigators are interviewing surviving victims, concertgoers, security, and everyone else that has potential information as to what led to this tragedy”
The venue has a capacity of 6,500 for concerts, and investigations into the incident are ongoing.
“We are hearing many reports of potential causes, including crowd size, shots fired, pepper spray, and more,” adds Smith. “Our investigators are interviewing surviving victims, concertgoers, security, and everyone else that has potential information as to what led to this tragedy. We are working with the fire marshal’s office to help determine number of concertgoers related to the capacity of the venue.
“In addition, we are working with various other licensing agencies such as code enforcement, the New York State Liquor Authority, and others, to verify compliance with regulatory safety measures and to hold those that were not in compliance, accountable for their actions.”
Posting on Twitter, GloRilla – real name Gloria Woods – says: “I am devastated and heartbroken over the tragic deaths that happened after Sunday’s show. My fans mean the world to me, praying for their families and for a speedy recovery of everyone affected.”
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Martyn’s Law legislation confirmed for UK venues
Security at venues is to be tightened in the wake of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack under new rules announced by the UK government.
The draft legislation, which will be published in the spring, has been dubbed ‘Martyn’s Law’ in tribute of Martyn Hett, who was killed alongside 21 others in the bombing at an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017.
Working closely with security partners, business and victims’ groups – including Hett’s mother Figen Murray and the Martyn’s Law Campaign Team, and Survivors Against Terror – the new duty will require venues to take steps to improve public safety, with measures dependent on the size of the venue and the activity taking place.
A standard tier will apply to locations with a maximum capacity of over 100. This will include training, information sharing and completion of a preparedness plan to embed practices, such as locking doors to delay attackers’ progress or knowledge on lifesaving treatments that can be administered by staff while awaiting emergency services.
Locations with a capacity of over 800 people will additionally be required to undertake a risk assessment to inform the development and implementation of a thorough security plan. Subsequent measures could include developing a vigilance and security culture, implementation of physical measures like CCTV or new systems and processes to enable better consideration of security.
“As an industry, we remain resolute in our longstanding commitment to keep fans safe”
“As an industry, we remain resolute in our longstanding commitment to keep fans safe,” says LIVE CEO Jon Collins. “We will work closely with government to ensure that proposals, such as the suggested Martyn’s Law, are realistic and workable, and improve safety for all.”
The government will establish an inspection and enforcement regime regarding the proposed legislation, with sanctions to be issued for serious breaches.
“The way the city of Manchester came together as a community in the wake of the cowardly Manchester Arena attack, and the amazing work of campaigners like Figen Murray who have dedicated their lives to making us safer and promoting kindness and tolerance, is an inspiration to us all,” says prime minister Rishi Sunak.
“I am committed to working with Figen to improve security measures at public venues and spaces and to delivering this vital legislation to honour Martyn’s memory and all of those affected by terrorism.”
“Common-sense security, and making sure venues are doing all they can to keep people safe, could mean fewer suffer what myself and the families of Manchester have had to endure”
“Martyn’s Law isn’t going to stop terrorism, but common-sense security, and making sure venues are doing all they can to keep people safe, could mean fewer suffer what myself and the families of Manchester have had to endure,” adds Figen Murray.
“I welcome the government’s commitment to including smaller venues and working quickly on this legislation. It is vital we now take the necessary steps to protect ourselves and others wherever possible and I hope other countries learn from this ground-breaking legislation.”
Dedicated statutory guidance and bespoke support will be provided by the government, while expert advice, training and guidance is also already available on the online protective security hub, ProtectUK.
Last month, the Manchester Arena Inquiry, led by chairman Sir John Saunders, published the second of three reports about the bombing and made a series of recommendations for events after identifying numerous failings by the emergency services.
The findings follow the first report, published in June 2021, which found there were multiple “missed opportunities” to prevent or minimise the impact of the bombing.
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New safety plan finalised for Astroworld venue
A taskforce has unveiled an updated agreement regarding safety arrangements for events at Houston’s NRG Park, site of the Astroworld festival disaster.
According to the group’s members, the revised protocols, which will clearly state responsibilities for the various parties involved in events at the venue, will improve communication, development of safety plans and permitting procedures for large gatherings.
The 50,000-cap Astroworld was promoted by Live Nation and Scoremore. Ten concertgoers were killed and more than 300 injured after a crowd surge during festival co-founder Travis Scott’s headline set on 5 November 2021. All of those who died suffered from compression asphyxia.
AP reports that the move follows concerns relating to the the emergency response during the 2021 tragedy, amid confusion about which agencies and officials ultimately had authority over the event.
Under the new safety protocols for the venue, all relevant safety stakeholders will be required to be together at one location during an event to be able to better monitor possible problems. The move will also see the creation of an internal calendar of events and safety planning checklist, while the event permitting process will be streamlined.
“When there’s confusion, there’s hesitancy and when there’s hesitancy, bad things can happen”
“It’s not to say those things were absent so to speak. They weren’t as aligned as they needed to be,” says Houston mayor Sylvester Turner. “And when there’s not alignment, there’s confusion. And when there’s confusion, there’s hesitancy and when there’s hesitancy, bad things can happen.”
Houston fire chief Samuel Peña adds that while the creation of an emergency action plan was already required under the previous arrangement, the updated agreement dictates that all public safety agencies and other officials should take part in that process from the start and not simply review it at the end. “That is the big difference,” says Peña.
The Texas Task Force On Concert Safety (TFCS), which was announced by Texas governor Greg Abbott in the days following the disaster and went on to release a series of recommendations. One of its key proposals was for the creation of a centralised Event Production Guide – outlining and encouraging best-practice for event design and crowd control – which could serve as a one-stop shop for promoters to access existing legal requirements.
Earlier this year, the go-ahead was given for hundreds of Astroworld lawsuits to be formally consolidated into a single case. The first wrongful death lawsuit settlements were reached in October by the families of victims Axel Acosta, 21, and Brianna Rodriguez, 16.
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Taskforce publishes Astroworld tragedy report
A US taskforce has made a series of recommendations on how to improve concert safety in response to last year’s Astroworld Festival tragedy.
Ten concertgoers were killed and more than 300 were injured after a crowd surge during co-founder Travis Scott’s headline set in Houston, Texas on 5 November. The 50,000-cap festival at NRG Park was promoted by Live Nation and its Scoremore subsidiary.
The Texas Task Force On Concert Safety (TFCS) was announced by Texas governor Greg Abbott in the days following the disaster. Led by Texas Music Office Director Brendon Anthony, the group comprised safety experts, law enforcement, firefighters, state agencies and music industry leaders, who held several meetings and one-on-one discussions to develop ways to enhance security at live music events in the state.
“The recommendations in this report are narrowly tailored to address gaps that were identified as contributing to safety failures at the Astroworld event,” states its newly published conclusions. “The TFCS also proactively used this process to enhance the state’s standard of safety practices for mass gatherings of all types.
“While some level of risk is inherent in any mass gathering, it is the opinion of the TFCS that proper planning will allow Texans to enjoy safe performances, concerts, and other culturally significant events.”
“The recommendations, findings and solutions detailed in this report will help the state of Texas prevent another tragedy like that at Astroworld Festival from happening again”
One of its key proposals is for the creation of a centralised Event Production Guide – outlining and encouraging best-practice for event design and crowd control – which could serve as a one-stop shop for promoters to access existing legal requirements. The guide would include a list of robust training resources for promoters, staff, and first responders for site walkthrough drills, security briefings, communication trees, and show-stop triggers and responses.
“I thank the Texas Task Force on Concert Safety for their commitment to safety and security for all concertgoers and for their collaboration with stakeholders on this critical report,” says governor Abbott. “The recommendations, findings and solutions detailed in this report will help the state of Texas prevent another tragedy like that at Astroworld Festival from happening again.”
The task force supports a requirement that promoters determine which emergency service would respond to a 911 call on the site of their event, and recommends that local authorities stop the show when it is determined that an event has been organised without a permit or has breached the bounds of the issued permit.
“The recommendations in this report are narrowly tailored to address gaps that were identified as contributing to safety failures at the Astroworld event”
It has also called for a Concert Attendee Code of Conduct as part of the ticketing process, which makes clear what behaviours will lead to ejection, and recommends that venues communicate with other venue representatives that have previously hosted the artist.
It adds that promoters should partner with artists to encourage safety, since messaging from the artist can be “uniquely persuasive” for fans.
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