Two Dead at Sunset Music Festival in Tampa

Two people have died after attending the Sunset Music Festival in Tampa, Florida, the Tampa Bay Times reports (via Stereogum). The deceased are a 22-year-old man from Melbourne, Australia, and a 21-year-old woman from Kissimmee, Florida. Cause of death has not yet been revealed, but Tampa police spokesman Steve Hegarty has said the police believe the deaths “are related to the Sunset Music Festival,” which took place May 28 and 29 at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. In addition, police say 57 festival attendees were taken to the hospital during the event. A spokesperson for St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa told WFLA the number of people coming in for drug overdoses was “frightening.”

In a statement to WFLA, Sunset organizers said:

The health, safety and welfare of our fans and community is Sunset Music Festival’s first priority and we take every measure to create a safe environment at our events. Any loss of life is a tragedy and we extend our deepest heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of those affected. Due to the ongoing investigation by the medical examiner’s office, Sunset will not issue additional comments at this time.

In their statement, the Tampa Sports Authority, which manages Raymond James Stadium, said:

We have received this information as you have through the Tampa Police Department’s release. We extend our condolences to these families for their loss. We will continue to work with the promoters of the Sunset Music Festival and local life safety agencies to provide the safest environment possible for their attendees.

via Matthew Strauss