Memphis rapper Glorilla was upset after her concert in Rochester, New York resulted in a second death stemming from a crowd stampede. Attendees rushed for the exits following unconfirmed reports of shots being fired inside the venue.
The deaths are the latest in a series of fatal stampedes at concerts and other large events. Earlier this year, 10 people died during Travis Scott’s AstroWorld festival in Houston.
Rhodesia Belton
In the wake of the tragic deaths that occurred after Sunday’s show, I am utterly devastated and heartbroken. My fans mean the world to me 😢. I am praying for the families affected and for a swift recovery of all those impacted 🙏🏽.
— GloRilla 🦍 (@GloTheofficial) March 7, 2023
On Monday night, the Rochester Police announced the unfortunate news that a second victim has passed away following a concert stampede over the weekend. Rhondesia Belton, a Buffalo woman, died at a hospital after she was injured during a Sunday (March 5) show at the Main Street Armory that featured GloRilla and fellow Memphis rapper Finesse2tymes.
She was rushed to Strong Memorial Hospital, where she later died. The 33-year-old worked for the city of Buffalo’s Traffic Violations Agency, Mayor Byron Brown said.
The crowd swelled when attendees heard what they believed were gunshots. A stampede ensued that left 10 people injured and one dead.
Authorities say the incident may have been triggered by unfounded fears of gunfire. It echoes a stampede at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival in Houston that killed 10 people last year, WMC reported. The crowd surge happened just after 11 p.m.
Ikea Hayes
I’m just now hearing about what happened. Wtf 😢😢😢praying everybody is ok 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
— GloRilla 🦍 (@GloTheofficial) March 6, 2023
After hearing about the concert stampede, Glorilla became upset. She went back to the venue to retrieve the belongings she left behind and found it hard to believe that she was not the only one hurt.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans deems the incident “totally unacceptable” and pledges a thorough investigation into the Main Street Armory’s safety measures for large crowds.
After a concert by GloRilla and Finesse2tymes, chaos ensued as concertgoers attempted to rush to safety. Several unfounded reports of gunshots inside the Main Street Armory led people to surge in an effort to get out of the venue safely.
Security Guard Anthony Rouse
Security Guard Anthony Rouse said he usually avoids the type of music that was playing Sunday night, but when he found out his daughter was going to the concert he signed up to work. According to his statement to WHEC, his daughter was injured in the rush to the exits and had to spend part of Monday in the hospital.
Unfounded fears of gunfire sent a crowd into a stampede that killed one person and injured two others at the Rochester Main Street Armory. The Memphis rap stars GloRilla and Finesse2tymes had finished performing Sunday night when something prompted people to surge dangerously toward the exits just after 11 p.m., Police Chief David M. Smith said at a news briefing Monday.
Rochester Police
Rochester Police became upset after a second person died from the concert stampede that occurred Sunday night at the Main Street Armory. The death toll has now risen to two after 33-year-old Rhondesia Belton of Buffalo died Monday afternoon from her injuries, while another woman, identified as 35-year-old Ikea Hayes, remained in critical condition.
The event began when people rushed toward the exits because they heard rumors of gunfire, and it quickly escalated into chaos. Several injured were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital, but Rochester police said they found “no evidence to support a shooting having occurred” inside the concert late Sunday, featuring rappers GloRilla and Finesse2tymes at the Main Street Armory, according to Lt. Nicholas Adams of the Rochester Police Department, who spoke to ABC News.
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The Rochester Police Department is a community-based organization whose mission is to provide safe, professional, and responsive services. The department is made up of a number of Divisions, each of which provides different responsibilities. The Patrol Divisions are responsible for foot, bicycle, and vehicle patrol; responding to emergency calls; apprehending suspects; conducting preliminary and follow-up investigation of offenses; working closely with the PAC-TAC program and participating in the City’s four Neighborhood and Business Development (NBD) teams.
