Officials Release Report on Main Street Armory Stampede

Earlier this year, at a concert that featured rappers Finesse2Tymes and Glorilla at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, there was a deadly stampede that was caused by a crowd surge at the end of the event. That crowd surge resulted in the eventual death of 3 people and left several other people with various injuries after being crushed as thousands of people attempted to exit the venue.

In the aftermath of the events on Sunday, March 5, 2023, the Armory, which had served as a major music venue in Western New York , had its license to operate revoked by the City of Rochester as officials began an investigation into the cause of the stampede, along with looking to apply blame if necessary. The venue has since been sold by its long-time owner.

The events of March 5th also left the lives of 3 separate New York families forever impacted as Rhondesia Belton from Buffalo, Brandy Miller from Rochester, and Aisha Stephens from Syracuse lost their lives after being crushed.

Officials Release The Results Of Their Investivation

Immediately after the stampede, officials from the Rochester Police Department stated they would begin an immediate investigation into the events at the Armory.

On May 1, 2023, the RPD announced that it would not pursue any criminal charges as it released its report on the events that up to the stampede and deaths.

• The Armory has a maximum capacity of 5,000 with approx. 3,900 attended the concert on March 5th.
• Some people reported the sounds of loud pops, which were determined to be confetti poppers that went off at the end of the show.
• All of the front doors were open and operatable and by the end of the night,
• There were more than 50 security guards on duty for the Armory, in addition to the Rochester Police Department special detail of 8 officers.
• Investigators revised video evidence from police body cameras, publically available video from patrons, and social media. Officials also interviewed more than 100 people.

The report concludes that there was a traffic jam when a crowd of around 200 people was outside and still trying to get into the venue after the show ended, and they forced themselves inside and overwhelmed security offices at the same time people were trying to exit through the front door, causing a panic.

You can read the entire report from the RPD here.

What Happens With The Main Street Armory Now?

Since its license to operate was revoked, officials from the City of Rochester would need to apply for a new operations license.

City officials have also stated they are reviewing their requirements for event venues in general, so the people in charge of the Armory would also need to abide by whatever rules are in place when they submitted their new application.