As fans were leaving Beyoncé‘s concert in Atlanta on Tuesday (July 15), a stampede broke out on an escalator at a local transit station that left 11 people injured — and according to reports, one little bug was what started it all.
The incident took place at Vine City Station, where concertgoers had gathered to use the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority on their way home from the Cowboy Carter Tour show at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. As captured in videos on social media, chaos broke out when a line of people using an escalator at the station started to rush down the steps after hearing screaming, resulting in a dangerous crowd crush.
Witnesses on the scene later told police that they believed the person who screamed had been reacting to an insect.
In a statement shared with Billboard on Friday (July 18), MARTA’s Stephany Fisher confirmed that the incident took place just after midnight on Tuesday, with 11 people reporting injuries. “One person suffered a broken ankle, seven people were transported to the hospital with cuts and scrapes, and one person declined transport,” she said. “Two people requested medical assistance after reaching their destinations. MARTA Police on scene reported that a person began screaming and running, causing a stampede on the escalator that caused it to temporarily speed up and then stop suddenly.”
Fisher added that the escalator has since been barricaded and is under investigation by manufacturers and MARTA Safety officials. She also noted, “MARTA Police on scene said there was a scream and witnesses said the person who screamed was reacting to an insect. I believe there’s also video on TikTok of a woman claiming it was a 10-year-old relative who screamed when she saw a bug.”
Billboard has reached out to Beyoncé’s rep and MARTA police for comment.
The terrifying ordeal followed the last of four shows that the 35-time Grammy winner played in Atlanta, marking the end of the second-to-last stop on her summer-long Cowboy Carter trek. People on social media have been posting their accounts of the accident, with one witness sharing footage and writing on TikTok, “After the Beyonce concert last night, the escalator flew down and we all flew down and piled on top of each other … I managed to break free but I was very shaken up.”
The video shows people in cowboy hats and other Beyoncé-coded outfits crying out in fear, while some people still on the escalator urge others to move back.
Others have shared photos of their injuries, including one person with a bloody, lacerated ankle.
Also in Atlanta, Beyoncé’s choreographer and dancer were robbed on July 8. The two men told local police at the time that someone had broken into their car, stealing a hard drive with some of the superstar’s unreleased music and touring plans.
The next and final stop on Bey’s trek will be in Las Vegas, where the musician will perform shows on July 25 and 26 at Allegiant Stadium.
