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    Sunday, May 19, 2024

    Authorities shutter N.Y. music venue that hosted fatal GloRilla concert, where 2 women died

    Authorities in Rochester, N.Y., shut down the music venue where a deadly stampede occurred after a Sunday night performance by rapper GloRilla.

    “Today, Chief Smith signed an order denying the renewal of the Main Street Armory’s Entertainment License,” the Rochester NY Police Twitter feed announced Wednesday. “Effective immediately, the Main Street Armory is not permitted to host any public entertainment.”

    That tweet included a photo of a uniformed officer slapping a notice on the concert hall’s heavy black door. The notice read that the owner and operator had “failed to maintain good order at the premises.”

    Two women died and eight people were injured — one seriously — as concertgoers rushed the doors at Main Street Armory. Police discounted claims the stampede was sparked by gunshots.

    The military base-turned-concert hall has a 5,000-person capacity, though it’s unclear how many people were inside when chaos began near the end of Sunday night.

    Shortly after midnight, GloRilla tweeted that she had just been made aware of the tragedy and was “praying everybody is OK.”

    The following day, she said she was “devastated and heartbroken over the tragic deaths that happened after Sunday’s show.”

    “My fans mean the world to me. Praying for their families and for a speedy recovery of everyone affected,” she added.

    The rapper is next scheduled to perform in Texas on March 18.

    The Main Street Armory was first built in 1905 to headquarter western New York’s 3rd Battalion, according to its website. Since then, it has hosted hosted circuses, concerts, sporting events, and auto shows.

    Bands such as Panic! At the Disco, the Struts and Styx have performed at the venue. A concert by heavy metal band Anthrax was canceled in August after the stage broke during an opening band’s set, according to NYS Music.

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