Famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump has been retained to represent the family of the third victim killed during a stampede at a GloRilla concert in Rochester on Saturday, Mar. 5.
Aisha Haskins-Stephens, 35, was the third victim to sustain severe injuries at the concert. She died three days later.
Crump has now called on GloRilla and the concert’s venue to provide “transparency and accountability” as legal proceedings are about to take place.
Crump has risen to become one of the nation’s most sought-after attorneys, specifically after representing the families of high-profile cases including the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Ahmuad Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
On his website, the 53-year-old North Carolina native boasts a reputation that is “devoted to advocating for the voiceless of our society whenever or whatever kind of harm may have befallen them.”
He has reached multi-million dollar settlements for his clients, including winning a $27 million settlement for the family of George Floyd and a $12 million settlement for the family of Breonna Taylor.
“Aisha’s death was completely preventable and we are calling for transparency from Main Street Armory, GloRilla, and event staff as the investigation into how this tragedy transpired continues,” Crump wrote in a statement. “Concert venues and organizers have a significant responsibility to ensure the safety and health of those in attendance – individuals who just want to enjoy music and have fun with their friends. It is imperative that we learn what happened and hold those responsible accountable.”
On Mar. 7, The Associated Press confirmed that two people were killed and eight were injured at Rochester’s Main Street Armory, where Glorilla was performing with Finesse2Tymes. Thirty-three-year-old Rhondesia Belton and 35-year-old Brandy Miller were the first victims pronounced dead.
Lieutenant Nicholas Adams of the Rochester Police Department told CNN that officers were dispatched to the scene shortly before midnight after hearing gunshots fired inside the venue. Police found no evidence of a shooting, but found several concertgoers were injured.
“The injuries appear to be as a result of a large crowd pushing towards the exits following accounts of individuals hearing what they believed to be gunshots,” Adams told CNN.
Meanwhile, Glorilla was not aware of the deaths or injuries until after the show was over.
“I’m just now hearing about what happened wtf,” the Internet Trolls entertainer posted on Twitter after reports of the incident began to circulate online. “Praying everybody is ok.”
She later tweeted: “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”
Fans deluged the post with replies about the incident.
“I really do feel bad for the celebrities that gotta go through shit like this .. they always get the blame for it,” one user wrote.
The city of Rochester has announced that Main Street Armory has been prohibited from hosting any public events. The event space’s license, which was pending renewal, has been denied.
