Fears over gunfire at a GloRilla concert in Rochester, NY caused a stampede—killing at least one person with many more injured.
Memphis rappers GloRilla and Finesse2tymes had just finished performing their set on Sunday Night at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, NY. People exiting the venue began surging dangerously, according to Police Chief David M. Smith. “We do not have any evidence of gunshots being fired or of anyone being shot or stabbed at the scene,” the police chief reports.
News of the stampede soon broke out on Sunday night. “Major emergency response at the Main St. Armory after a concert. Had witnesses telling me at least three women were trampled as concertgoers left the venue. I also saw a firefighter performing CPR, presumably on a victim on scene,” reports Alec Richardson.
At least three women were badly injured after police were able to make their way inside the venue. A 33-year-old woman died due to her injuries, while at least two other women are in critical condition at a local hospital. “What began last night as a night of live music and fun for the performer GloRilla ended in tragedy with one person dead and two more fighting for their lives,” the police chief said during his press conference about the incident.
Rochester police are currently investigating the event to determine what could have caused the crowd surge. The police chief says any number of things could have happened, from the crowd being too large, shots fired, pepper spray, or “other contributing factors.”
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans says the fatal stampede was “totally unacceptable” and promised to investigate the venue’s safety measures. “We are going to hold people accountable for what happened last night, period,” the mayor told reporters. He says it’s too early to determine what happened, but he intends to get to the bottom of it with an investigation.
The Rochester Armory was built in the early 1900s and hosted sporting events until it was shut down in the 1990s. Part of the reason for that shut down was that the building lacked a fire suppression system. Following renovations made to bring the building up to code, it reopened again in 2005. It’s built for a capacity of around 5,000 people and the city is working with the fire marshal to determine if the capacity was exceeded.