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Morbid Angel concert disaster: Apollo Theatre roof collapse leaves 1 dead, over 40 injured

Frederick Forest Livingston Jr, 50, has been identified as the man who died

BELVIDERE, ILLINOIS: One person died and more than 40 people were injured after a roof collapsed during a Morbid Angel concert at the Apollo Theater on Friday night, March 31. The roof collapsed amid powerful storms that hit the area with speeds of around 90 mph. First responders rushed to the scene of the "mass casualty.” In addition to the venue, several buildings were also damaged as a result of the storm.

A video posted on Twitter showed the chaos inside the venue, with a fire alarm blaring as people screamed for help. Another video showed concertgoers rushing to lift the collapsed part of the ceiling and help others. One of the concertgoers, Gabrielle Lewellyn, said, "They dragged someone out from the rubble, and I sat with him and I held his hand and I was [telling him,] ‘It’s going to be OK.’ I didn’t really know much else what to do," reports The Hollywood Reporter.

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'It was a large response'

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said he is “closely monitoring” the situation. He wrote in a tweet, "My administration is closely monitoring the roof collapse at the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere tonight. I’ve been in touch with officials for updates and to direct any available resources we can. As we learn more, please follow the guidance of all local authorities."

While Belvidere Fire Chief Shawn Schadle said, as stated by CNN, "It was a large response not only from all the public safety agencies, police, fire, as well as the bystanders to rescue those that were initially injured."

The dead victim has been identified

Frederick Forest Livingston Jr, 50, has been identified as the man who died. Officials said that fellow concertgoers attempted to save Livingston Jr by pulling him away from debris that had fallen on him.

His sister Deanna Hicks said he went to attend the concert with his son Alex, who is "OK," reports ABC 7 Chicago. Talking about her brother, Hicks said, "On behalf of the family of Frederick Forest Livingston Jr, Fred was a son, brother, father, uncle and grandpa. Fred was a car (proud owner of a 1967 GTO) and Heavy Metal enthusiast. Fred had a big heart and cared for others deeply. Please keep all of Fred's family and friends in your thoughts. Please respect our privacy."

Artists confirmed they are safe

It’s unclear if any bands were onstage at the time, though the show was scheduled to begin at 7 pm on March 31. However, the artists have confirmed that they are safe. Support acts Skeletal Remains and Revocation announced their band and crew members were safe. Morbid Angel announced to fans on Facebook that the event had been canceled, asking anyone still traveling to the show to take shelter. The post read, "We ask anyone who is still traveling to the venue to please seek shelter and stay safe. We are currently sheltering in place, and want to extend our support and hope that everyone at the show tonight is safe. Right now our focus is on making sure everyone in the venue tonight is ok and gets home."