Wiz Khalifa’s show was abruptly cut short when thousands of spectators left the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville late on August 27, anticipating a potential mass shooting.
Chaos unfurled at the American rapper’s concert, as 25,000 fans ran to exits amidst unsubstantiated reports of gunfire. The Speed Me Up rockstar abruptly ended the show and was immediately taken off stage. However, the Noblesville police have not yet found evidence for the claim.
Since mass shootings have exponentially increased in the last decade, here are the five deadliest shootings in US concerts.
1. Las Vegas Shooting- 60 dead
On October 1, 2017, Nevada resident Stephen Paddock started shooting at people attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. He shot more than 1,000 bullets from his suites on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, killing 60 people and injuring 500 others.
2. Bombing In Manchester Arena- 22 dead
On May 22, 2017, Salman Abedi, a suicide bomber, targeted Ariana Grande’s concert at Manchester Arena. Over 22 victims were killed and at least 530 were injured. Salman Abedi’s act claimed the innocent lives of several children and teenagers. The show came to a sudden halt, leaving the American star and her fans traumatised.
3. Orlando shooting – 49 dead
Described as “an act of terror” by the Florida government, the mass shooting inside Orlando’s Pulse nightclub left 49 people dead and over 60 injured on June 12, 2006. The shooter, identified as Omar Mateen, was later gunned down by a police officer.
Later, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, although further investigations revealed that Mateen was an American citizen and did not appear to be in contact with the terrorist organisation.
4. Juneteenth shooting in Washington DC- 2 dead
Only 14 months after the Orlando shooting, the mass shooting at the Juneteenth music festival on June 20th this year gripped US fans with horror. A police officer of the Metropolitan Police Department, along with several other people, was shot. The shooting killed a 15-year-old and left 2 others in critical conditions.
Also Read: Pottstown double shooting: What we know so far
5. Arkansas Shooting- 1 dead
21-year-old Erik Nava-Reyes was arrested on the grounds of attempted capital murder in a shooting that caused a mass flight from a concert at Parson’s Stadium in Northwest Arkansas. This shootout last month killed 1 person.
Capt. Jeff Taylor told The Associated Press he did not know who was performing or whether anyone else was injured in the evacuation.