Slipknot’s heavy metal music festival, Knotfest, experienced a tragedy earlier this week when one of the festivals’ event goes was pronounced dead near the mosh pit at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre near Chicago, Illinois. Richard Valadez, 62, was moshing with other festival attendees when he suddenly fell to the ground and started seizing uncontrollably. Several witnesses recall Mr. Valadez was hit right before he fell to the ground and once he was lying on the floor there were a few other attendees trying to help him up. When they realized that he was seizing up, two unidentified men attempted to perform CPR on Richard Valadez while others were trying to control the crowd around them.

There was mass confusion and panic that set in as it took emergency services an unacceptably long amount of time to reach Mr. Valadez. Unfortunately, the Tinley Park Fire Department was not on scene when the incident happened and Fire Chief Forest Reeder stated that, “The Fire Department was not present for this incident at the amphitheater as the emergency medical services are provided by a private contractor for any on-site emergencies.” Several fans in attendance stated that the event was really poorly put together, there was no communication, no preperation, and clearly not enough safety percautions set in place.

Slipknot has yet to make any comment on the incident. However, the bands Knotfest music festival features some of the best heavy metal bands including, Gojira, Behemoth, and Volbeat. The festival is set to make its next stop in New York at Long Island’s Jones Beach on August 28. Tickets for the festivals events can be purchased here.

(8/28) – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

(8/30) – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

(8/31) – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion

(9/1) – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live

(9/3) – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

(9/4) – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

(9/6) – Austin, TX – Austin360 Amphitheater at Circuit of The Americas

(9/7) – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion

(9/8) – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman