China News Service, March 7 (CNN) reported that a stampede occurred late at night on the 5th local time at a concert in Rochester, New York, killing 2 people and injuring 8 others. One of them is in critical condition.
According to reports, local investigators said that that night, rappers GloRilla and Finesse2tymes held a concert on Armory Main Street in Rochester, New York.
It is said that someone heard what appeared to be a gunshot in the venue, which caused riots, and a large crowd flocked to the exit of the concert.
"But it sounded like someone was shooting outside, so everyone started running back again and it went crazy," said Atiya Holley, an audience member at the scene.
"I didn't know where to go so I ran to the emergency exit on the side of the field. That's when I was pushed down the stairs and my sister had to pull me off the ground. We ran all the way to the car park after that. said Hawley.
She also said she saw injured concertgoers there.
Police responded quickly after receiving the report, but found that no one had been shot and there was "no evidence" that there was any shooting at the scene.
Rochester Police Sgt. Nicholas Adams said that while no evidence of a shooting was found, police were investigating possible causes of the stampede, including "crowd size, shots fired, pepper spray and other contributing factors."
According to reports, 3 injured people were taken to the local hospital, 2 of them died and the other was in critical condition.
Seven other people were injured, but none were life-threatening.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said on the 6th, "It is too early to say what caused the stampede... This tragedy breaks my heart and is completely unacceptable."
It is reported that this is not the first time a music festival stampede has occurred.
In November 2021, a large number of people crowded each other at a music festival in Houston, Texas, causing a stampede, killing 8 people and injuring more than 300 people.