Three Men have been stabbed after a fight broke out, in the middle of the US rapper, Roddy Ricch’s concert, in South London. Police and paramedics were called to the gig, at nightclub Electric, in Brixton, on Tuesday (March 12) night, after a brawl broke out in the venue.
The three men, who are thought to all be in their 20s, were taken to hospital after suffering knife wounds, at a concert by rising Californian-born rapper Roddy Ricch, at Electric Brixton last night. However, all three men have since been discharged after treatment.
The violence erupted at the end of the set by Ricch, whose songs include ‘Die Young’ and ‘Area Codes’. Online video footage showed onlookers screaming and crowds fleeing the venue, and a man with blood pouring from his arm after apparently being slashed. Videos posted online appear to show the aftermath of the brawl, with one man clutching his arm after being stabbed.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Police were called to a music venue in Town Hall Parade, Brixton SW2 at 22.30hrs this evening, Tuesday, 12 March. It is believed that a fight broke out in the venue, during which three males in their 20s are believed to have been stabbed.
“They were attended to by colleagues from London Ambulance Service and have been taken to hospital. There have been no arrests at this very early stage in enquiries. The venue was evacuated and there have been no other reports of injuries. There are no road closures.”
Appealing for information, they added: “Call police about this incident on 101 and quote CAD 8088 of 12 March. Anyone who has information which could help enquiries but who does not feel comfortable talking to police is asked to contact the independent charity Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111. They do not ask your name and cannot trace your call or I.P address.”
The rapper is yet to directly respond to the incident. However, a spokesman for the venue said: “Electric Brixton has never experienced an incident like this in its history because we pride ourselves on our stringent and rigorous security procedures. The safety of our guests is paramount and as such, wand searches and body searches are used by security personnel before entry; these processes are in accordance with police guidelines. We will work with the authorities to examine what happened and if new measures need to be put in place.”
The incident comes amid a huge rise in knife crimes across the UK, with 42 people being stabbed to death so far in 2019. According to official statistics 38 police forces, out of the patchwork of 44, in England and Wales reported a 7 percent increase in knife crimes between 2017 2018. Last year in London alone, there were 132 murders, and 76 of those victims died from being stabbed.
The knife crisis isn’t just confined to the capital. In Birmingham, there were three fatal stabbings in the last two weeks of February alone. The head of West Midlands Police, which covers Birmingham, says knife crime in the UK is now “a national emergency”. West Midlands Police Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson, said: “This is a national emergency, and we must do something about that exclusion of children because those children are on almost an immediate path into crime and into violence.”
