Man critically injured after brawl at Pusha T concert
A man is in life-threatening condition after he was stabbed during a Pusha T concert at Toronto's Danforth Music Hall, police say.
The show was interrupted late Tuesday after people in the crowd threw their drinks at the rapper and attempted to rush the stage. Pusha T has been feuding with Toronto artist Drake for several years.
Several brawls ensued involving security and people in the audience, according to multiple witness videos posted to social media.
A witness said the melee broke out around 35 to 40 minutes into the show.
"It kind of just kept building and then spilled out into the crowd," said Richie Assaly, who was about 15 metres from the stage. "Everyone was just kind of shocked. Mostly people were concerned that the show was over."
Some time after the fighting ended, a man walked into a nearby hospital with serious stab wounds, according to police. Investigators then determined that he was stabbed at the concert "in either the initial fight or another fight that may have occurred afterwards," said Const. David Hopkinson.
"He's in bad shape," Hopkinson said.
Police have not publicly named the man who was stabbed or identified a suspect, and have not laid any charges.
Pusha T vs. Drake
After order was restored at the concert, Pusha T reappeared on stage and suggested that Drake paid the beer throwers to disrupt the concert.
During the abbreviated encore, Pusha T also performed Infrared, which is believed to include subliminal insults directed at Drake.
Infrared reignited a months-long and highly publicized feud between the two artists, though it appeared to end when Pusha T released The Story of Adidon, in which the Virginia-based rapper accused Drake of fathering a child in secret.
On an HBO show hosted by LeBron James, Drake said the accusation was true, but said Pusha T crossed the line by also mocking his longtime producer Noah "40" Shebib, who suffers from multiple sclerosis.
Assaly, who is a fan of both Pusha T and Drake, said he and his friends wondered if people in the crowd might boo Pusha T during the show, but said he never imagined actual violence would take place.
"When someone gets hurt like this, it becomes about more than just the rap feud and becomes something more serious," he said.
