Another Concertgoer Dies After Stampede

Police still aren't sure what sparked the rush toward exits that has left three dead
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 7, 2023 4:21 PM CST
Updated Mar 9, 2023 2:48 PM CST
GloRilla Says She Is 'Devastated & Heartbroken'
GloRilla performs at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
UPDATE Mar 9, 2023 2:48 PM CST

A 35-year-old woman trampled as fans rushed out of a Rochester, New York, concert has died of her injuries, the third person killed in the crush. Police said Aisha Stephens of Syracuse had been hospitalized in critical condition since the performance by GloRilla on Sunday, WXXI reports. Fans pushed toward exits after apparently thinking they heard shots. Although they're still investigating, police said they haven't found evidence of gunfire. On Wednesday, Rochester pulled the entertainment license of the venue, the Main Street Armory.

Mar 7, 2023 4:21 PM CST

Rapper GloRilla says she is "devastated & heartbroken over the tragic deaths that happened after Sunday’s show." Two women died and several other fans were injured in a stampede after the end of the concert in Rochester, New York. "My fans mean the world to me," the Memphis-based rapper tweeted, adding that she is "praying for their families & for a speedy recovery of everyone affected."

Police believe the deadly rush for the exit may have begun when people thought they heard gunshots. Police Chief David M. Smith said Monday that there is no evidence shots were fired, but authorities are investigating potential causes including "possibly crowd size, shots fired, pepper spray and other contributing factors USA Today reports.

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On Monday, police identified one of the women who died as Rhondesia Belton, a 33-year-old Buffalo resident. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said Belton worked for the city's Traffic Violations Agency. The second woman was identified Tuesday as Brandy Miller, a 35-year-old Rochester resident, the AP reports. Police said a third woman is still hospitalized in critical condition and seven other people were treated for non-life-threatening injuries after the stampede. (More stampede stories.)

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