A second woman has lost her life following a stampede at a GloRilla concert in New York on Sunday.
According the Associated Press, the chaos began after the CMG artist and Finesse2tymes finished performing at the Mar. 5 concert at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, NY. Authorities believe the crush may have been prompted by a false report of a concert goer with a gun, leading fans to rush to the exit.
“We do not have any evidence of gunshots being fired or of anyone being shot or stabbed at the scene,” Police Chief David M. Smith said during a news briefing on Monday. Investigators are examining other potential causes of the fatal crowd surge, including “possibly crowd size, shots fired, pepper spray and other contributing factors.”
Emergency responders transported three critically injured people to the hospital. One of them, 33-year-old Rhondesia Belton, a Buffalo Traffic Violations Agency employee, died at a hospital.
“Her family, friends, and colleagues are devastated and left to mourn this tragic loss. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown tweeted Monday evening.
She tragically lost her life yesterday while attending a concert in Rochester. Her family, friends, and colleagues are devastated and left to mourn this tragic loss. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers. pic.twitter.com/7l6kjVwafB
— Byron W. Brown (@MayorByronBrown) March 7, 2023
On Monday evening, Rochester Police confirmed a second person lost their life in the tragedy. They have not released the 35-year-old woman’s name. One additional woman remains in critical condition, while another seven individuals were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
GloRilla Offers Prayers Over “Tragic Deaths”
GloRilla issued a statement on Twitter late Monday, expressing her grief at the “tragic” loss.
“I am devastated & heartbroken over the tragic deaths that happened after Sunday’s show,” she wrote. “My fans mean the world to me 😢praying for their families & for a speedy recovery of everyone affected. 🙏🏽”
I am devastated & heartbroken over the tragic deaths that happened after Sunday’s show. My fans mean the world to me 😢praying for their families & for a speedy recovery of everyone affected 🙏🏽
— GloRilla 🦍 (@GloTheofficial) March 7, 2023
Meanwhile, the city’s mayor Malik Evans promised a thorough investigation into the incident.
“We are going to hold people accountable for what happened last night, period,” Evans said.
“If you go to a concert you do not expect to be trampled,” he added. “Your loved ones expect you to be able to come home and talk about the experience that you had at that great concert.”
