Third woman dies after NY concert crowd crush
A third person has died as a result of injuries sustained in the crowd crush that followed a concert at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, New York last weekend.
Aisha Stephens, 35, of Syracuse, had been in hospital since the incident after the show by US rapper GloRilla ended just after 11pm on 5 March. Two other women, Rhondesia Belton, 33, and 35-year-old Brandy Miller, also died, while seven people required hospital treatment for non-life threatening injuries.
Police say the crowd may have panicked and rushed for the exits after unfounded reports of gunfire, leading to a “stampede”.
“As the concert was ending, concertgoers began running towards the exits after hearing what they described as gunshots,” says a letter to the venue signed by Rochester Police Investigation chief David Smith. “Your contracted event security guards were unable to control the crowd as they were running, which in turn caused a human stampede.”
The 6,500-cap Main Street Armory has had its licence suspended in the wake of the tragedy
The 6,500-cap Main Street Armory has had its licence suspended in the wake of the tragedy after the police investigation revealed “justifiable concerns regarding your ability to operate the premises”. “You have failed to maintain good order on the premises,” it adds.
The BBC reports the decision to revoke the licence made after the venue’s owner failed to show up for a scheduled meeting with the police chief and Rochester’s city attorney.
“It is one step we can immediately take to ensure that the events of Sunday night are not repeated,” says Smith. “The bottom line is, lives were lost, and we need to take steps to make sure that no lives are lost in the future if this was indeed something that was preventable.”
Police are looking at “possibly crowd size, shots fired, pepper spray and other contributing factors” as potential causes of the tragedy.
Posting on Twitter in the aftermath of the concert, GloRilla – real name Gloria Woods – said: “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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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.”
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.