NEW YORK — One person was killed and nine injured at a rap concert in upstate New York in a stampede apparently sparked by false shooting rumors, authorities said.
The incident happened Sunday night at a GloRilla and Finesse2tymes concert in Rochester.
The victims were crushed by the terrified crowd that ran for the exits of the room, Police Chief David M. Smith said at a press conference on Monday.
“We have no evidence that any shots were fired at the scene,” Smith said. As the concert ended in the Main Street Armory in Rochester shortly after 11 p.m., people began congregating dangerously toward the exits, Smith said. He added that when the police entered the premises, they saw three seriously injured women.
A 33-year-old woman died in hospital and the other two were in critical condition on Monday, police said. Seven other people were taken to hospital and treated for injuries, but not serious, Smith said.
“What started as a night of live music and fun for artist GloRilla ended in tragedy with one person dead and two others fighting for their lives,” the official said.
While there is no evidence of a shooting, Smith added, several possible causes for the stampede are being investigated, including “possibly the size of the crowd, gunshots, gas irritants or other factors”.
Mayor Malik Evans called the incident “a tragedy of epic proportions” and promised a full investigation.
“We’re going to establish accountability for what happened last night, period,” Evans said.
GloRilla, from Memphis, whose song “FNF (Let’s Go)” featuring Hitkidd was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Performance, tweeted that she’s “praying everyone is doing well.”
Deadly stampedes have been a recurring disaster at concerts and other major events across the United States and around the world, including a 2021 gig by rapper Travis Scott that killed 10 people.
Built between 1905 and 1907 and initially used by the United States military, the Rochester Armory hosted sporting events throughout the 20th century before being closed for several years beginning in the late 1990s, in part because it lacked a fire extinguishing system at the time.
It reopened after major renovations and began hosting concerts and other events in 2005. Its main stadium is expected to have a capacity of around 5,000, Smith said. The city’s fire marshal will work with police to determine if that capacity was exceeded on Sunday, he said.
Mayor Evans said it was too early to say whether the venue’s next scheduled show, a Saturday performance by rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, would be allowed to take place.
“If you go to a concert, you don’t expect to be walked on,” Evans said. “Your loved ones hope you can come home and talk about your experience at this great concert.”