A second person has died “as a result of a large crowd pushing” during a concert Sunday night in Rochester, New York, police confirmed.
The victim, who was not named by police Monday night, was one of two women in critical condition at Strong Memorial Hospital after the incident.
A 33-year-old woman was the first reported death in the stampede. Eight other people were injured.
Police initially responded to a report of shots fired inside the Main Street Armory event venue during a concert around 11:05 p.m.
Officers found several people injured inside but saw no evidence of a shooting, Rochester police said.
“Upon further investigation … none of the injuries sustained to any of the victims were consistent with a person being shot,” Rochester police Lt. Nicholas Adams said.
“The injuries appear to be as a result of a large crowd pushing towards the exits following accounts of individuals hearing what they believed to be gunshots.”
Atiya Holley was leaving the concert with her sister when she got caught up in the deadly stampede, she told CNN.
She heard what sounded like muffled gunshots outside the venue, she said.
“It sounded like they were shooting outside, so everyone started running back in. Then when everyone tried to exit again it got crazy,” Holley said.
Several people started running toward the main and emergency exits, According to Holley.
“I didn’t know where to go so I went through an emergency exit on the side of the venue. That’s when I was pushed down the stairs and my sister had to pick me up from the ground. We just kept running to the parking lot after that,” Holley said. There, she said, she saw injured concertgoers.
Atiya Holley took this photo of the GloRilla concert at Main Street Armory Sunday night. Courtesy Atiya Holley
The tragedy follows a series of deadly crowd surges at entertainment events.
In 2021, eight people died at the Astroworld music festival in Houston.
Last fall, 158 people were killed in a crush of people during Halloween festivities in a nightlife district of Seoul, South Korea.
Authorities in Rochester have not publicly identified the woman who died.
Two of the nine people hurt were in “critical, life-threatening condition,” police said. The other seven people had non-life-threatening injuries.
It’s “too early to say what precipitated the event,” Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said Monday.
“You do not expect to be trampled,” at a concert, the mayor said, saying the tragedy “breaks my heart” and is “totally unacceptable.”
Police are interviewing concertgoers and security agents, Rochester Police Chief David Smith said. Investigators are also working with fire marshals to help determine the number of concertgoers in relation to the venue’s capacity.
The venue, which has a 5,000 person maximum capacity, is “current and compliant” with all fire codes, according to a statement released by the City of Rochester Monday afternoon.
The Main Street Armory has two city code violations, one involving an unapproved business operation at the rear of the property and an unapproved “dwelling unit” the statement said.
Eight Rochester police officers were posted outside the building, which is why police were on the scene so quickly, according to the statement. Those officers were placed there at the request of the venue, which paid for their services.
The investigation is in its early stages, and police are asking anyone with video of what happened to come forward, Smith said.
Rapper GloRilla, who was performing at the venue Sunday night, offered prayers to those affected.
“I’m just now hearing about what happened … praying everybody is ok,” she tweeted.
B318Leon on March 7th, 2023 at 04:38 UTC »
Every show I've been to in the last few years has felt completely over sold. That's the problem
CFCYYZ on March 7th, 2023 at 03:52 UTC »
2022: 153 killed in Seoul during Halloween festivities 2021: 8 dead in Houston Astroworld festival concert crush 2000: 9 dead at Pearl Jam concert in Denmark 1979: 11 killed at The Who concert crush in Cincinnati
Other deadly concerts
TheINTL on March 7th, 2023 at 01:41 UTC »
What should I do if I’m stuck in a crowd crush?
Once the crowd stops moving, your priorities should be to stay on your feet, keep your arms from being pinned by your side, protect your chest and conserve oxygen.
To stay on your feet, you need to brace yourself but also move with the crowd rather than push against it. Dense crowds can surge, ripple and move in waves. “Go with the flow,” said Amos. “It’s tempting to resist the flow or pressure of the crowd, but you’re not likely to win against a mass of humanity.”
Keep your feet in a boxer-like stance, with feet apart, one foot in front of the other and knees slightly bent, said Paul Wertheimer of Crowd Management Strategies, a Los Angeles crowd safety consulting service.
It’s important to keep your hands up. Once crowds get packed too tightly, your hands can be pinned by your side. Use your dominant hand to grab your opposite forearm, which creates a sort of shield in front of your chest with your elbows as a brace against other bodies. This will help protect your chest and maintain a breathing zone. If you have a backpack, turn it forward over your chest, said Wertheimer.
Short people are at higher risk of restricted oxygen than tall people. Don’t bring children into crowds, but if it happens, put them on your shoulders or hold them and have them wrap their legs around your waist. Don’t try dragging them by the arm.
Shouting is a waste of energy and oxygen. Experts note that most crowd crushes are relatively quiet as people work together and try to help each other. Stay calm and keep your head up for maximum air.
If you drop your phone or any other item, let it go. Once you bend down to pick something up, you’re unlikely to get back up. If you fall or trip, try your best to get on your feet, but if you can’t, your odds of surviving are best if you go into a fetal position on your left side and protect your head. You’re most vulnerable if you’re on your back or your stomach.