Third person dies of her injuries from stampede at GloRilla concert in New York

A third person has died after being injured in a stampede at rapper GloRilla's Sunday concert in western New York.

Aisha Stephens, 35, of Syracuse, was the only person who remained hospitalized following the Memphis rap star and Finesse2tymes's performance at the Rochester Main Street Armory on Sunday evening. She died Wednesday night.

Two other women, Rhondesia Belton, 33, of Buffalo and Brandy Miller, 35, of Rochester, also died and several people were injured after being caught up in a crush of concertgoers who surged toward the exits after the show.

Police said the stampede may have been triggered by unfounded fears of gunfire.

The city refused to renew the venue's entertainment license on Wednesday, effectively shutting it down while criminal and regulatory investigations are underway, said Patrick Beath, the city's deputy corporation counsel. 

Aisha Stephens, 35, of Syracuse, was the only person who remained hospitalized following the performance by GloRilla at Rochester Main Street Armory on Sunday. She died Wednesday.

Brandy Miller (pictured), 35, of Rochester, also died and several people were injured after being caught up in a crush of concertgoers who surged the exits

Rhondesia Belton, 33, of Buffalo, also died in the stampede on Sunday night

In addition to a police investigation, Beath said fire and code enforcement authorities are inspecting the building and reviewing photos and video from the concert to determine if there were any violations. The armory's owner has not responded to numerous emailed requests for comment, AP reported.

The main arena in the fortress-like armory has a capacity of about 5,000 people, city officials said.

As the concert ended Sunday, people exiting the venue just after 11 p.m. began to surge dangerously after hearing what they believed to be gunshots, city officials have said. Police found no evidence of gunfire.

Earlier this week, GloRilla, whose 2022 song 'F.N.F. (Let's Go)' with Hitkidd was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Performance, tweeted that she is 'praying' for the families of those affected by a stampede.

'I am devastated & heartbroken over the tragic deaths that happened after Sunday's show. My fans mean the world to me,' she said.

'Praying for their families & for a speedy recovery of everyone affected.'

Rapper GloRilla was performing when a panicked crowd mistakenly thought they heard gunshots and caused a stampede that killed three people and injured seven others

Earlier this week, GloRilla tweeted that she is 'praying' for those affected by a stampede

Finesse2Tymes (pictured) and GloRilla had just finished performing at the Main Street Armory theater in Rochester on Sunday night at around 11.05pm when the stampede happened

Footage from inside the venue showed security officers and concertgoers trying to help people who had collapsed on the ground 

Rochester Police (RPD) are investigating the incident to not only determine what happened but to bring accountability for those responsible. Pictured: The aftermath of the tragedy 

Rochester Police (RPD) are investigating the incident to not only determine what happened but to bring accountability for those responsible.

RPD is trying to ascertain whether the crowd size exceeded the capacity of the armory and whether the proper safety measures were taken. 

Mayor Malik Evans called the fatal stampede 'totally unacceptable' and promised a thorough investigation into whether venue operators had the necessary safety measures in place for a large crowd.

'We are going to hold people accountable for what happened last night, period,' Evans said, though he cautioned that it was too early in the investigation to assign blame.

'If you go to a concert, you do not expect to be trampled,' Evans said. 'Your loved ones expect you to be able to come home and talk about the experience that you had at that great concert.'

Concertgoers leave the Main Street Armory venue in Rochester on Sunday after the stampede

RPD is trying to ascertain whether the crowd size exceeded the capacity of the armory and whether the proper safety measures were taken

Pictured: The Main Street Armory (file image). Detectives have determined that none of the injuries that the victims' sustained were consistent with a person being shot

Built from 1905 to 1907 and initially used by the U.S. Army, the armory hosted sporting events throughout the 20th century before being shut down for several years starting in the late 1990s, partly because it lacked a fire suppression system.

It reopened after extensive renovations and began hosting concerts and other events in 2005.

City officials said the facility underwent a physical fire safety inspection in December and was compliant with fire codes.

The venue's next scheduled show, a Saturday performance by the rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, has been canceled.

Fatal crowd surges have been a recurring disaster at concerts and other large events in the U.S. and around the world, including one at a 2021 performance by rapper Travis Scott in which 10 people died.