Two women died Sunday night as attendees of a GloRilla concert in Rochester, N.Y., rushed to the exit after the show, police said.
One woman, 33-year-old Rhondesia Belton, was pronounced dead at a local hospital early Monday morning, police said. The second victim, identified only as a 35-year-old woman, died of her injuries late Monday.
Another 35-year-old woman was still in critical condition Monday night, police said.
Police initially said officers responded to reports of shootings in the Main Street Armory shortly after the concert ended around 11 p.m. It is then believed to be the result of a large crowd pushing towards the exit.” Sounds like a gunshot.
However, late Monday morning, Rochester Police said, “There have been some reports of gunshots being heard and the crowd panicking, but they have not been confirmed.”
Police said they were still investigating possible causes of the crowd surge “including the size of the crowd, gunfire, pepper spray, etc.”
Seven more people were taken by private vehicle to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Alec Richardson CBS Rochester affiliate WROC-TV He tweeted that he “probably saw a firefighter perform CPR on a victim at the scene.”
About an hour after the incident, Grammy-nominated Memphis rapper GloRilla said: murmured She had just heard what had happened and was “hoping everyone was okay”.
After learning of her second death, she said, “I am devastated and heartbroken by the tragic death that occurred after Sunday’s show. My fans mean the world to me, my family and everyone affected.” I hope he recovers quickly.”
Mayor Malik Evans called the deadly stampede “completely unacceptable” and promised a thorough investigation into whether venue operators were taking the necessary safety precautions for the large crowds.
“I’m going to hold people accountable for what happened last night,” Evans said.
After hosting sporting events throughout the 20th century, the Armory closed for several years beginning in the late 1990s.
After extensive renovations, it reopened in 2005 and began hosting concerts and other events. The main arena is expected to hold about 5,000 people, Smith said, and the city’s fire department will work with police to determine if that capacity has been exceeded on Sunday.
City officials said the facility underwent a physical fire safety inspection in December and complies with the Fire Code.
The next show scheduled at the venue, Saturday’s performance by rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, has been cancelled.
“If you go to a concert, you don’t expect to be trampled,” Evans said. “Your loved ones expect you to come home and talk about what they experienced at that wonderful concert.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/glorilla-stampede-main-street-armory-rochester-new-york/ Two killed in stampede at GloRilla concert in New York