Two women were killed when attendees of Gloria’s concert in Rochester, New York, rushed to the exits after the show Sunday night, according to police.
Police announced early Monday morning that a woman, Rhondisia Pelton, 33, had died at a local hospital. The second victim, identified only as a 35-year-old woman, succumbed to her injuries later on Monday.
Police said another 35-year-old woman remained in a critical condition Monday night.
Police initially said that officers responded to a report of gunfire at the Main Street Armory shortly after the concert ended around 11 p.m., and that “the injuries appeared to be the result of a large crowd rushing towards the exits after accounts from individuals who heard what they had done”. He thinks it’s gunshots.
But later Monday morning, the Rochester Police Department said that “there are some reports that gunshots were heard, causing the crowd to panic, but this has not been confirmed.”
Police said they are still investigating the possible cause of the crowd increase, “including crowd size, shots being fired, pepper spray, and more.”
Lauren Petraca/AP
Police said seven other people were taken in private cars to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
Alec Richardson, of CBS Rochester affiliate WROC-TV In a tweet, he said he “saw a firefighter perform CPR, most likely on a victim at the scene.”
Major emergency response on Main St. Armory after prom. I had eyewitnesses tell me that at least three women were trampled when the party-goers left. I also saw a firefighter perform CPR probably on a victim at the scene. More information on News 8 at Sunrise. # rock @News_8 pic.twitter.com/462O90ByOv
– Alec Richardson (@alecr66) March 6, 2023
About an hour after the accident, Grammy-nominated Memphis rapper Glorella, chirp that she had just heard what had happened and that she was “praying everyone well”.
After learning of the second’s death, she tweeted that she was “devastated and devastated by the tragic death that occurred after Sunday’s show. My fans mean the world to me in prayers for their families and a speedy recovery to all those affected.”
Mayor Malik Evans called the deadly stampede “totally unacceptable” and promised a thorough investigation into whether site operators had the necessary safety measures in place for a large crowd.
“We will hold people accountable for what happened last night,” Evans said, though he cautioned that it was too early in the investigation to pinpoint blame. “I intend to get to the bottom of this.”
Lauren Petraca/AP
The Armory hosted sporting events throughout the 20th century before closing for several years starting in the late 1990s, in part because it lacked a fire suppression system at the time.
It reopened after extensive renovations and began hosting concerts and other events in 2005. Smith said the main arena is supposed to seat about 5,000 people, and the city’s fire chief will work with police to determine if that capacity is exceeded on Sunday.
City officials said the facility underwent a physical fire safety inspection in December and was in compliance with fire codes.
The venue’s next scheduled show, a Saturday performance by rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, was cancelled.
“If you go to a concert, don’t expect to be trampled on,” Evans said. “Your loved ones expect you to be able to go home and talk about the experience you had at that great concert.”
