Teenager who died at Lollapalooza identified after ‘scorching’ Chicago music festival sends hundreds to hospital

Chris Riotta
Updated
Evan Kitz-Miller, a 16-year-old high school student, died after attending the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago on Sunday night. The Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago has faced scorching heat and sent hundreds to the hospital in 2018: Jessica D'Onofrio / Twitter
Evan Kitz-Miller, a 16-year-old high school student, died after attending the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago on Sunday night. The Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago has faced scorching heat and sent hundreds to the hospital in 2018: Jessica D'Onofrio / Twitter

A teenager who died after attending the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago has been identified as Evan Kitz-Miller.

The 16-year-old was attending the popular annual festival in Grant Park on Sunday when he was found unresponsive and rushed to the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition. Temperatures were scorching in the park at the time of the incident, with at least 119 concertgoers being sent to the hospital within the festival’s first three days.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the teen’s death.

Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications confirmed Mr Kitz-Miller was attending the festival before his death in a statement, saying: “The safety and security of festival attendees is our top priority.”

“We are saddened to learn that an individual transported from the event in critical condition last night due to a medical emergency has since passed away,” the statement added. ”Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time.“

More than 300,000 visitors have attended the festival since it began on Friday, as temperatures reached above 32 degrees Celsius in Chicago over the weekend.

The festival encouraged visitors to stay hydrated on its website, advising people to visit “CamelBak Hydration Stations for free, cool, filtered water”. However, multiple concertgoers told NBC the park was uncomfortable due to the large crowds, suggesting that moving around could have been difficult.

Chicago police, which also did not immediately respond to enquiries, did not provide further details surrounding the teen’s death.

Mr Kitz-Miller was pronounced dead at the hospital nearly an hour after the incident, according to officials. He was from Mundelein, Chicago.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the festival said they were “saddened to learn of the death of an individual who attended Lollapalooza on Sunday”.

“The individual’s family and loved ones are in our thoughts during this difficult time,” the spokesperson continued. “We have no further information at this time.”

At least seven people have also been arrested at this year’s Lollapalooza, a decrease from previous years.

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