An evening of soul-baring storytelling and melodic vibes took a terrifying turn outside of the Rod Wave concert in Sacramento on Monday night when mayhem broke out, leaving five people injured, including a 6-year-old child, and a lawsuit against the venue’s operators.
Oct. 25, 2024, just moments before the Florida rapper was set to perform as part of his “Nostalgia Tour” stop at the Golden 1 Center. But for a few fans waiting outside, the show never did start. Instead, they became part of a stampede “induced by sudden panic” when fireworks were mistaken for gunfire.
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Plaintiffs all Nevada residents have filed suit in Sacramento Superior Court, alleging that they were crushed and suffered devastating injuries as the crowd became a human tidal wave rushing in panic. They include a child whose interests are being represented by a guardian ad litem.
The complaint doesn’t name the City of Sacramento itself, which, like the Kings, is a co-owner of the arena, but it does target those who operate the building. The venue, the plaintiffs argue, failed to control the crowd, allowed dangerously overcrowded conditions near the entrance, and lacked the requisite security or protocols to avert the disaster.
“My clients have suffered severe physical and emotional injuries,” said attorney Sean Shriver, who is representing the group. The litigation makes clear that even though the chaos unfolded outside the arena, the trauma was the same. People were flung to the asphalt and stomped upon in the melee, some unable to rise soon enough themselves as the panic rolled over them.
“What transpired outside Golden 1 Center was not only chaotic, I ought it was unsafe,” Shriver said.
Good God, no one died, yes, thank goodness for that, but the ripple effects have been long-lasting. The plaintiffs are now pursuing unspecified damages for medical bills, emotional trauma, and other costs incurred in the aftermath.
This incident comes as crowd safety measures at large-scale entertainment events remain a topic of ongoing discussion. The 2021 Astroworld tragedy in which 10 people perished continues to cast a long shadow, with venue operators under more intense fire than ever.
And while there’s plenty of electricity when a concert is unfolding live, it’s incalculably contingent moments like this that act as real-time reminders of what can go wrong when that electricity isn’t appropriately harnessed. For the fans who came to sing along to the heartfelt lyrics of Rod Wave, the night quickly became something they’d prefer to forget. With the legal wrangling underway, the repercussions from that night in Sacramento will last long past the final note of the show that wasn’t.
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