HOUSTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 25: Beyoncé performs during the halftime show for the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on December 25, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
You know that moment when the music fades, your voice is hoarse from singing, and all you want is to get to the caror in this case, the train? Thats exactly where thousands of Beyonc fans found themselves after her ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour stop in Atlanta. But what was supposed to be a smooth exit turned into a stampede. Now, officials are speculating whether it was sparked by a scared child.
After the ‘Cowboy Carter’ show wrapped up in Atlanta on Monday, July 14, fans made their way to the Vine City MARTA station. But, just as the crowd packed into the station, a 10-year-old girl allegedly spotted a bugand screamed in horror. According to MARTA police chief Scott Kreher, her reaction triggered panic as others, unsure of what caused the initial scream, assumed something far more dangerous was happening.
What followed was pure chaos. The escalators, overwhelmed by the flood of frantic concertgoers, began malfunctioning. Videos, taken at the scene, show a terrifying pile-up as people fell and scrambled to escape.
As fans poured out of Beyoncs ‘Cowboy Carter’ concert at Atlantas Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a 10-year-old reportedly spotted a cockroach. After seeing the insect inside the Vine City MARTA station, the young fan let out a blood-curdling scream. That one scream, according to MARTA police, set off a chain reaction of confusion and panic among the Beyhive crowd, who began to run without knowing what they were running from.
In the midst of panic, the escalators became overwhelmed, ultimately jamming and malfunctioning. The sudden surge of people led to a stampede that injured at least nine concertgoersone person broke their ankle, one had a sprained ankle, seven were taken to the hospital with cuts and scrapes, and one declined medical treatment. What began as a dramatic reaction to an insect quickly turned into a dangerous and chaotic scene.
As videos of the chaotic scene spread online, both concertgoers and transit professionals are weighing in on what happened. And, MARTA officials stress that while the trigger may seem small, the safety risks in crowded spaces are very real. One attendee, Jacobi Edwards, told FOX 5 News:
“It just created a whole entire slide full of people. It just started tumblingpeople just tumbling on each other. It was crazy, it was chaotic.”
And, Stephany Fisher, MARTAs Senior Director of Communication, spoke out on the situation, claiming:
I believe theres also [a] video on TikTok of a woman claiming it was a 10-year-old relative who screamed when she saw a bug, Fisher revealed. Video from the rail station clearly shows people reacting and running, but you cant see who screamed or what they were reacting to.
