'Most wanted' suspects sought after riot at cancelled Lil Baby show in Vancouver
CTV
Weeks after festivalgoers rioted over the last-minute cancellation of a Lil Baby performance in East Vancouver, authorities are asking the public to help identify their 10 'most wanted' suspects.
Weeks after festivalgoers rioted over the last-minute cancellation of a Lil Baby performance in East Vancouver, authorities are asking the public to help identify their 10 "most wanted" suspects.
The riot erupted at the Breakout Festival on the night of Sept. 18, when the headliner's show was cancelled shortly before he was scheduled to take the stage at the PNE Amphitheatre. There were about 5,200 attendees at the venue when the announcement was made.
"People were disappointed at this and so they acted out," Insp. Dale Weidman of the Vancouver Police Department said Tuesday. "What they ended up doing was causing over $300,000 worth of damage."
Authorities said rioters destroyed food kiosks, overturned tables and fought during a chaotic night that saw the mayhem spill out from the PNE into the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Organizers of the two-day Breakout Festival issued a statement on social media saying Lil Baby had been “too sick to perform,” and promising to provide attendees with partial refunds.
Days after the riot, police began asking the public to provide any photos or videos of the destruction – leading investigators to single out 10 individuals they are now hoping to track down.
"We're asking people to identify (the) suspects and hold them accountable," Weidman said. "We believe these people will be known – they'll be neighbours, they'll be classmates, friends, ex-friends."
