A night of party and music turned violent early Monday morning as a shooting erupted during a performance by rapper Boosie Badazz, injuring three persons, two critically and struggling to survive. The violence happened at Field House Lounge around 2 a.m. on March 10, 2025, and marred what was to be a highlight of the 2025 Millennium Tour.
According to the Akron Police Department, the chaos began when a fight broke out among attendees during Boosie’s performance. As tensions flared, an unidentified male suspect pulled out a gun and opened fire, striking three individuals in the crowd. The victims include an 18-year-old man and a 36-year-old man, both now in critical condition, and a 25-year-old man who suffered a graze wound and sought treatment later at a local hospital.
Authorities have not released the names of the injured, leaving their connection to the altercation – whether as participants or bystanders – a mystery for now.
Videos taken by concertgoers and posted to social media documented the moment that terror gripped the club as gunfire erupted. Squeals filled the air as patrons scurried for cover, abandoning the celebratory atmosphere that had prevailed moments before. The off-duty officers working as security guards quickly called back up at 2:05 a.m., and officers responded to find two of the victims in the area.
Boosie Badazz, whose real name is Torrence Ivy Hatch Jr., was on stage when the violence erupted. He was ushered to safety quickly and, to this point, appears to be unharmed. The rapper, to date, has yet to speak out about what happened, a silence that is in contrast to his past responses to similar incidents, including the August 2024 shooting that left two individuals killed ahead of his performance in Iowa. His safety, though, is a ray of comfort amid the unfolding drama.
The suspect fled the scene without being apprehended by the police, and no one has been arrested as of 11th March 2025. Police are trying to piece together what occurred before the shooting, with preliminary reports that the shooting followed the altercation that broke out in the crowd. The Akron Police Department is asking anyone with information to step forward, and they have provided several ways to do so, including the Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490, 330-375-2-Tip, or anonymously to Summit County Crimestoppers at 330-434-COPS.
This is not the first time violence has overshadowed a Boosie event. In August 2024, two people were killed in preparation for his outdoor performance in Pacific Junction, Iowa, and he moved the party elsewhere and distanced himself from the violence.
In 2021, a shooting during a production of a music video in Huntsville, Alabama, left an impression on his career and raised questions about the repeated violence that takes place during his performances. Whether these instances indicate deeper issues in crowd psychology or coincidence is open to debate.
