Lil Wayne Concert in Atlanta Cut Short by ‘Altercation’ in Crowd, 12 Injured

By Jem Aswad

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – At least 12 people were hurt after reports of gunfire sent people running for cover during a Lil Wayne concert during the A3C festival in Atlanta on Sunday, according to ABC13 , although a statement from police says there is no evidence that shots were fired.

“It appears someone in the crowd at the event located in the area of Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. and Central Ave. yelled that they heard gunshots,” the statement reads in part. “This caused people at the event to flee the location. At this time we haven’t been able to locate any evidence that support claims that shots were fired.”

Video posted on social media shows a chaotic scene as people rushed from the stage and attempted to climb fences to escape the area. Officers say the victims suffered minor injuries.

The incident took place three songs into Wayne’s set, which was cut short. The rapper tweeted later Sunday night, “Hope everyone at A3C is safe.”

It was the second consecutive weekend in which a major outdoor festival was disrupted by reports of gunfire: The Global Citizen concert in New York’s Central Park on Sept. 29 was delayed after crowdmembers panicked at what they thought was gunfire; subsequent reports said the sound was either from a falling security fence or plastic bottles popping, although reports were inconclusive. That concert continued after a 40-minute delay before headliner Janet Jackson’s set; “several dozen” people received minor injuries, according to police.

The A3C festival issued a statement shortly afterward that reads: “Sadly, there was an altercation tonight that ended ’s performance. We are still collecting information to determine exactly what happened in and will provide follow up information as soon as we know more details. Please be assured that the law enforcement officers present have confirmed that there were no weapons involved. This was a very unfortunate way to end an otherwise amazing week of music, friendships and connections.”