False rumors of a shooting at a rap concert led to a fatal crowd surge that killed one person and injured nine others in Rochester, New York on Sunday night, according to police.
The incident happened at the Main Street Armory, where rappers GloRilla and Finesse2tymes were performing. Rochester Police Chief David M. Smith said at a press briefing that the injuries were caused by people being trampled, and there was no evidence of gunfire.
As the concert ended, people exiting the venue began to surge dangerously, and police found three women with critical injuries. One of them, a 33-year-old woman, died at the hospital, while the other two remained in critical condition.
Seven additional people were treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, according to Smith. The cause of the fatal surge is under investigation, with Smith citing several possible contributing factors, including crowd size, shots fired, and pepper spray.
Mayor Malik Evans promised a thorough investigation and said that those responsible for the tragedy would be held accountable. Meanwhile, GloRilla tweeted that she was praying for everyone’s safety.