Riot Fest has issued a statement in response to the news of an attendee's death due to injuries sustained at this year's event at Chicago's Douglass Park, denying rumours that 58-year-old Stephen Shult's death was related to moshing during Slayer's set on September 22.
"We are heartbroken to share that a festival attendee passed away yesterday," festival organizers wrote on Instagram late Friday (October 4). "Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly challenging time."
"The health, safety, and well-being of our fans and community have always been our top priority," the statement continued, going on to address online speculation that Shult was trampled during Slayer's set. "We are aware of the various speculations surrounding this tragedy, including claims that it may be linked to the Slayer crowd. However, we want to clarify that this is not the case. The on-site medical team responded to this medical incident, near the Ferris Wheel area, prior to Slayer's performance. Out of respect for the family's privacy, we will not be sharing further details."
Hailing from Arlington Heights, IL, the deceased sustained a head injury after being separated from his daughter, Jen Eaton, and friends. Shult was taken to the neurology ICU of an area hospital with head trauma under the wrong name, and by the time Eaton and co. were able to locate him with the help of the community after posting on the Riot Fest Facebook page, "he had undergone a craniotomy due to brain swelling and a brain bleed," his daughter wrote in the description of a GoFundMe campaign.
Shult died on Thursday (October 3) at 1:48 p.m. after his initially promising recovery took a turn for the worse early last week, suspected to have been in a natural coma with little to no brain activity by Tuesday (October 1) evening. The fundraising campaign to cover cremation and celebration of life services has reached nearly $7,000 USD of its $8,000 goal at the time of this writing.