Waking up to new of two deaths and four hospitalization, all possibly linked to MDMA use, at this year's Electric Zoo festival is bad enough to have New York Mayor Bloomberg cancel the third day of the festival. The fallout from that announcement alone sent social media buzzing, but the specifics of the event paint a picture that will make it harder for those who are already gung-ho against EDM and rave culture in general to see any of the positives of the scene.
Reports today paint an ugly picture of what actually went down on the ground at Randall's Island. A Walk In The Park reported that one 16-year-old female apparently woke up under a van in a parking lot with her pants undone and scratches on her legs, and after being examined it was determined that she had been sexually assaulted. Now, the Electric Zoo was 18+, but word is that the security at the door wasn't doing as stringent of a check on those entering the festival.
Gothamist reported this morning that there were 31 arrests, which included "drug sales, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and possession of controlled substances; at least two of the arrests were for two felonies." However, the most chilling news is the NY Post's report about Olivia Rotondo, the 20-year-old female that died over the weekend reported told an EMS worker that she had taken "six hits of Molly" before falling into a seizure and dying. Word is that the male who died, 23-year-old Jeffrey Russ, not only had ecstasy in his system, but is said to have had crystal meth on his person when he died.
While we stress that toxicology reports have not been completed as of yet, there are a number of fingers being pointed. Was Made Event lax on their security? Do you put the onus on the festival attendees who are ingesting either too many drugs, a dangerous cocktail of drugs, or purchasing drugs that might be cut with substances that make them potentially life-threatening? And with the various stories and rumors about what went down (including rumors of over 300 medical transports taking place this year compared to the 100 at last year's Electric Zoo), what will be the fate of a 2014 edition of the Electric Zoo?
