The death toll rose to two on Monday (March 6) following a stampede at a rap concert in Rochester, New York, that authorities said may have been triggered by unfounded fears of gunfire. Two people have died in the stampede that occurred after GloRilla‘s show.
The Memphis rap stars GloRilla and Finesse2tymes had finished performing Sunday night at Rochester’s Main Street Armory when something prompted people to surge dangerously toward the exits just after 11 pm.
Rochester Police confirmed the death of an unnamed 35-year-old woman, pushing up the death toll to two following the death of 33-year-old Rhondesia Belton. AP added that another woman was still in critical condition, while seven more people were sent to hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fatal event, which saw audience members “surge dangerously toward the exits” — which could have been “crowd size, shots fired, pepper spray and other contributing factors.” Police Chief David M. Smith added, “We do not have any evidence of gunshots being fired or of anyone being shot or stabbed at the scene.”
Mayor Malik Evans announced that they “are going to hold people accountable for what happened last night, period,” and that he intends “to get to the bottom of this.”
GloRilla also took to Twitter to address the stampede shortly after, writing: I’m just now hearing about what happened wtf[.] praying everybody is ok.”
I’m just now hearing about what happened wtf ????????????praying everybody is ok ????????????????????????????????
— GloRilla ???? (@GloTheofficial) March 6, 2023
Fatal crowd surges have been a recurring disaster at concerts and other large events in the U.S. and around the world, including one at a 2021 concert by rapper Travis Scott in which 10 people died.
