Two Killed After GloRilla Concert Stampede In Rochester, N.Y.

After rumors of gunshots spread through the crowd of a GloRilla concert in Rochester, N.Y., a stampede occurred, resulting in two killed, one severely wounded and seven with non-life-threatening injuries.

In a news conference on Monday, Chief David Smith of the Rochester Police Department said that the stampede began after a performance by rap artist GloRilla around 11 p.m.

“We are hearing many reports of potential causes, including crowd size, shots fired, pepper spray and more,” Smith said. “Preliminary reports from people at the scene indicate that these injuries were caused from being trampled. We do not have any evidence of gunshots being fired or anyone being shot or stabbed.”

The two deceased victims were identified as Rhondesia Belton, 33, and Brandy Miller, 35. The identity of the third victim in critical condition has not yet been released.

One surviving concertgoer, Ikea Hayes, was interviewed by the local news station, WHEC-TV, and recounted how she and another woman were pinned onto the ground as other concertgoers trampled them. Hayes remembered thinking, “You got to get up. You got to move. If you stay here they’re going to keep running you over.”

“When you go to a concert, you do not expect to be trampled,” Mayor Malik D. Evans said during Monday’s news conference. “Your loved ones expect you to be able to come home.” He ensured the city would be investigating the tragedy to make sure safety measures were being followed by the operators of the arena.

The rapper GloRilla took to Twitter an hour after the event, writing, “I’m just now hearing about what happened. Praying everyone is ok.”