The family of Aisha Haskins-Stephens, the third woman killed in a stampede at a concert featuring rappers GloRilla and Finesse2tymes earlier this month, has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Haskins-Stephens, 35, and two other women suffered fatal injuries when concertgoers rushed toward an exit in the Main Street Armory in Rochester, New York, on March 5.
Rhondesia Belton, 33, died shortly after she was transported to an area hospital. Brandy Miller, 35, died the next day. Seven other people sustained injuries that were not life-threatening.
Related Story: Death Toll Climbs to 3 From Stampede at GloRilla Concert in New York
While the cause of the stampede remains under investigation, Crump issued a news release on Tuesday, March 21, calling for increased precautions at concert venues across the nation.
“It is disturbing that after the deaths caused by a crowd stampede at the Astroworld Festival, more precautions have not been taken at concert venues,” the attorney said. “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 added that it’s “imperative” concert organizers learn from previous tragedies, and the individuals responsible for the Rochester crowd surge be held accountable.
“We will continue to pray for Aisha and her family as we seek justice in this tragedy – and do what we can to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again,” he stated.
The day after the deadly incident, Rochester Police Chief David M. Smith said preliminary reports indicated the chaos erupted when concert attendees mistakenly thought they heard gunshots.
“We do not have any evidence of gunshots being fired or of anyone being shot or stabbed at the scene,” Smith told reporters.
The Rochester tragedy came after ten people, including a 9-year-old boy, were killed in a crowd surge at rapper Travis Scott’s Astroworld music festival in Houston, in November 2021.
Crump and co-counsels Alex Hilliard, Bob Hilliard and Paul Grinke filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of dozens of people they said sustained injuries in the Astroworld tragedy. The lawsuit named Scoremore Mgmt, Live Nation Entertainment, Travis Scott, Cactus Jack Records, and others.
In a phone call with Urban Hollywood 411 at the time, Hilliard said his clients were traumatized and suffered both physical and emotional injuries. The attorney said he expected up to “5,000 clients” who were injured at Astroworld to come forward.
Multiple lawsuits were eventually filed. In October 2022, another attorney told NBC News his client had settled a lawsuit against Travis Scott and Live Nation.
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