GloRilla Says She's 'Devastated & Heartbroken' After N.Y. Concert Stampede That Left 2 Dead
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Terence Rushin/Getty GloRilla
GloRilla is speaking out in the wake of the deadly stampede at her show in Rochester, New York, which killed two women and injured eight others.
"I am devastated & heartbroken over the tragic deaths that happened after Sunday's show," the Grammy-nominated rapper, 23, wrote on Twitter late Monday.
She added, "My fans mean the world to me 😢praying for their families & for a speedy recovery of everyone affected 🙏🏽."
The tragedy occurred after the concert ended at about 11 p.m., when the crowd at Main Street Armory surged towards the exit after some audience members reported hearing gunshots, according to the Associated Press.
Police entered the venue and found three women critically injured, including a 33-year-old who died at a hospital, per the AP's reporting.
I am devastated & heartbroken over the tragic deaths that happened after Sunday’s show. My fans mean the world to me 😢praying for their families & for a speedy recovery of everyone affected 🙏🏽
— GloRilla 🦍 (@GloTheofficial) March 7, 2023
On Monday, Buffalo's mayor, Byron Brown, identified the concert-goer as Rhondesia Belton, who worked for the City of Buffalo Traffic Violations Agency.
"Her family, friends, and colleagues are devastated and left to mourn this tragic loss. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers," he said in a statement posted on Twitter.
"This is another difficult day for our City's workforce and our entire community. I join all of our City employees in mourning the loss of one of our own," Brown, 64, wrote in another tweet.
Later on Monday, authorities said a 35-year-old woman, whose name was not released, also died from her injuries. A third woman remains in critical condition, while seven others were treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.
Byron W. Brown Twitter Rhondesia Belton
Despite law enforcement finding no evidence of gunshots at the venue, they're reportedly investigating multiple causes for the stampede.
These include "possibly crowd size, shots fired, pepper spray and other contributing factors," Rochester Police said at a news conference on Monday.
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Now, authorities are investigating the venue to see if it took proper precautions to accommodate the crowd, Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans said, adding that the incident was a "tragedy of epic proportions," according to The New York Times.
"When you go to a concert, you do not expect to be trampled," he said. "Your loved ones expect you to be able to come home."
The incident comes more than a year after 10 people were killed in a crowd surge at rapper Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival in Houston in November 2021.
