T.I. Concert Shooting in New York City: 1 Dead, 3 Injured

Rapper Troy Ave. was among those affected by gun violence

Four people were shot, one fatally, at T.I.'s concert Wednesday.

The 35-year-old rapper was set to perform at Irving Plaza in New York City, but he never made it to the stage. Police said Wednesday that gunfire broke out at around 10:15 p.m. in a third-floor dressing room while his opening acts, rappers Maino and Uncle Murda, were performing; the violence later spread to the audience. A 33-year-old man was shot in the stomach and later died at Beth-Israel Hospital. A 34-year-old man was shot in the chest and taken to Bellevue Hospital; he is in critical condition. A 26-year-old woman was shot in the leg and was taken to Bellevue Hospital; she is expected to survive. And a 30-year-old man was shot in the leg and taken at New York Medical Center; he is expected to survive. That man was later identified as Crown Heights-based rapper Roland Collins, better known by his stage name, Troy Ave.

T.I., a three-time Grammy winner, was in the building but not onstage during the attack. "The shots just came out of nowhere," a concertgoer tells E! News. "Everyone was so freaked out and ran out. It was an extremely scary scene."

Reps for T.I. referred all inquiries to the NYPD.

 

Concertgoer Live Hoffman, 19, was in the balcony VIP area to the left of the stage when the shooting occurred. "The girl next to me was shot point blank, and men picked her up and carried her out," Hoffman said (via NBC 4 New York). "For two to three minutes we still heard firing, still heard shots. We were clutching each other making sure no one was getting hit."

Videos shared on social media showed people frantically scrambling to leave the concert venue; Irving Plaza has a capacity of approximately 1,000 people, according to its website. At a news conference, NYPD Chief of Detectives William Aubry confirmed the venue has metal detectors and said it was unclear how the assailant was able to enter the venue with a weapon. Aubry added that detectives have since recovered ballistic evidence and are canvassing for video. T.I. was set to perform at a second venue, 1 OAK, but the show was canceled over safety concerns.

(E! and NBC 4 New York are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)