Jam band moe. has shared a statement regarding the deadly potential terrorist attack outside their show at the Kodak Center in Rochester on New Year’s Day, which killed two people and injured nine.
At about 12:50 a.m., 35-year-old Michael Avery from Syracuse drove a Ford Explorer heading eastbound, striking a Mitsubishi Outlander, killing both himself and two passengers in the other car as concertgoers were leaving the Kodak Center after moe.’s show.
Justina Hughes, 28, of Geneva, Ontario County, and Joshua Orr, 29, of Webster were in the car’s rear in a ride-share. Rochester Police Chief David Smith spoke in a news conference about the incident, saying “Avery sped up, crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic and appears to have intentionally been driving towards the pedestrian crossing.” The collision hit a group of pedestrians who were in the crosswalk, and then two other vehicles. There was an ignited fire that took over an hour to extinguish, and first responders found at least a dozen gasoline canisters in and around Avery’s car.
Last night’s events outside the Kodak Center have left us all in profound shock and sadness. On a night that was meant for celebration and togetherness, we are faced instead with a tragedy that defies understanding. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of those who lost their lives, and our thoughts are with those who were injured.
moe.
moe. went on to thank the first responders for their “swift and courageous actions in securing everyone’s safety,” ending the statement by speaking about the resilience of their fans, saying “We believe in the power of music to heal and unite, and it is in this spirit that we will continue to move forward.”
CNN reported that so far the FBI has not recovered any information that makes them believe this is a terrorist act, but are still looking into it. They do believe it could be an intentional act though, as he drove from Syracuse to Rochester, checked himself into a hotel room, went to the store, and made at least six purchases of gasoline and gas containers between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. that day.
This story is still developing and is a tragedy for the victims, the band, and all those who were in attendance at the show.
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