HOUSTON – From fires to mass shootings, here are some of the concert events that have turned deadly in U.S. history.
Nov. 5, 2021
At least eight people die after a crowd surge at a concert during Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival in Houston. Get the latest details here on this developing story.
Oct. 1, 2017
A lone gunman, Stephen Craig Paddock, unleashed a rapid-fire barrage of bullets from the 32nd floor of a Las Vegas hotel, killing at least 59 people and injuring more than 500 others attending a country music festival performance by Jason Aldean.
May 26, 2016
A backstage shooting at a concert in New York from rapper T.I. left one person dead and three others injured.
Aug. 13, 2011
The stage collapsed at the Indiana State Fair on Aug. 13, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The stage fell just before country duo Sugarland were scheduled to perform, killing seven people and injuring as many as 40 more. High winds were blamed for the collapse which killed four people immediately, with three more dying later from their injuries, reports say.
Dec. 8, 2004
In Columbus, Ohio, five people died when a gunman fired on a concert with a crowd of about 200 people. Former Pantera player “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott was among the dead when a 25-year-old shooter killed him and opened fire on others in the crowd of about 200 people. The shooter was among those killed when the first police officer on scene shot him. Read more about the incident here.
Feb. 20, 2003
In West Warwick, Rhode Island, 100 people died when a pyrotechnics display caught fire during an over-capacity performance by the 1980s rock band Great White. Reports say the incident resulted in criminal trials and convictions for the band’s manager and the club’s owners.
Dec. 3, 1979
On Dec. 3, 1979, 11 people were trampled to death as they attempted to enter the Riverfront Coliseum for a concert by the rock group, The Who. The crush happened when thousands who had waited hours learned “The Who” might be late. Numerous injuries were also reported in what one survivor called a “nightmare.”
May 28, 1977
In Southgate, Kentucky, a fire broke out in a popular nightclub, and according to reports, the Beverly Hills Supper Club was packed at more than capacity for a concert from John Davidson. In all 165 people were killed and hundreds more were injured.
June 30, 1974
A disco club in Port Chester, New York, called the Gulliver’s Nightclub went up in flames after a robber tried to cover up his burglary, killing 24 people, including two members of the performing band Creation. One member of the band who escaped the fire was future Kiss drummer Eric Carr, a report says.
Dec. 6, 1969
Four people died during the Altamont Free Concert in Tracy, California -- a one-day festival that led to the stabbing death of a woman during a Rolling Stones performance. The other three deaths were reportedly from hit-and-run crashes and a drowning.
April 23, 1940
Around 209 people were killed and over 200 were injured in the Rhythm Club Fire in Natchez, Mississippi when Walter Barnes and his Royal Creolians were performing to a crowd of over 700 people. All of the victims were African Americans.
The club was reportedly “a long, narrow building with corrugated iron walls and roof. All the windows had been boarded up to prevent people outside the club from entering or watching a performance through the windows. There were only two doors, both near the front of the building; one was locked. The fire broke out near the entrance around 11 p.m. The club’s decorations included Spanish moss hung from the ceiling, which had been sprayed with Flit, a petroleum-based insecticide. The moss quickly ignited, and the building’s metal construction prevented the heat from leaving the building. Many people were able to escape through the front door, while others pushed toward the back of the building, where they were unable to escape because there was no exit.”