Several injured in concert brawl

TORONTO — One person is being treated for life-threatening stab wounds and several others are injured following a series of brawls at a Pusha T concert in Toronto, say police.

Toronto Police spokesman Const. David Hopkinson said officers responded to several alleged assaults at the Danforth Music Hall during Pusha T’s performance on Tuesday evening after someone rushed the stage, setting off a mass brawl.

The stage was cleared, he said, and several people suffered minor injuries as they tried to escape the melee, while other fights waged on concurrently.

A person who was stabbed during the incident went to hospital on his own, said Hopkinson. Two others were treated in hospital for injuries not believed to be life-threatening, he said, and three more declined to receive any medical treatment for their injuries.

Hopkinson said progress has been made in the investigation, but he was not aware of any arrests as of Wednesday afternoon.

Emergency workers were already on standby at the venue when the violence erupted at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, a safety measure he said is common at Toronto concerts.

The venue, the Danforth Music Hall, said on Twitter Wednesday evening that it is “fully cooperating” with the Toronto police investigation and said it wouldn’t be commenting further. The event’s promoter did not respond to a request for comment.

Concert-goer Adde Mohamed said he sensed that security was on high alert as the crowd waited for Pusha T to take the stage in rapper rival Drake’s home turf.

“You would have expected something to happen with Pusha T in Toronto,” said Mohamed. “People like to say that Toronto is Drake’s city. They already had their beef.”

And soon enough, it was raining beer.

A video shows Pusha T trying to dodge the deluge and debris being hurled by about 15 agitators, Mohamed estimated. And positioned front-and-centre, he was right in the splash zone.

As Pusha T was whisked backstage, Bhatt said several concertgoers breached the metal railings, leapt on stage and “knocked the hell out of” each other.

Security personnel ushered the sea of brawlers out of the venue, some still throwing punches as they were evacuated to boos from the crowd.