Family of Syracuse woman killed in stampede at Rochester concert hires famed lawyer Benjamin Crump

Syracuse, New York. The family of Aisha Haskins-Stevens, a Syracuse woman killed in a stampede at a Rochester concert, has hired prominent civil rights and wrongdoing attorney Benjamin Crump.

Haskins-Stevens, 35, died March 8 in a stampede at a Rochester rap concert at the Main Street Armory on March 5, police said. Authorities said the hype may have been caused by false reports of a shooting.

The stampede killed two more women. Rondezia Belton, 33, of Buffalo, died shortly after the stampede. Brandi Miller, 32, from Rochester, died a day later.

Haskins-Stevens’ mother, Eloise Jean LeFlore, said her daughter was in a coma in the hospital for several days before she died.

Crump represented the family in several police-related deaths. He also represents the Malcolm X family in a lawsuit against the federal government and the New York City Police Department.

“Aisha’s death could have been completely prevented,” Crump said in a press release on Tuesday. He called for transparency on the part of all participants.

“Concert venues and organizers have a significant responsibility to ensure the safety and health of those in attendance — people who just want to enjoy music and have fun with their friends,” Crump said. “It is imperative that we find out what happened and bring those responsible to justice.”

Related article: Woman Called Life: ‘Shining Light’ for Syracuse Children Dies During Panic at Rochester Concert

Haskins-Stevens worked for the local Good Life Foundation helping students at Blodgett High School in Syracuse. She called them her “babies” and offered her love. She was also the head coach for the Pop Warner cheerleading squad in Kirk Park.

Her family spoke to Syracuse.com | Post-standard and mixed emotions of anger and sadness over the death of Haskins-Stevens.

“More than 6,000 people and all these people trampled on my daughter’s head,” LeFlore said.

“These people were standing around filming the scene, but my daughter was lying there and dying,” she said, crying. “No one took her.

Despite this, Haskins-Stevens’ sister Kia Washington said she took comfort in knowing she was loved.

“Aisha has been and continues to be a shining light for the entire Syracuse community,” Washington said.

Staff Writer Riley Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, photo, question or comment? Contact her at 315-396-5961, tweet @kirk_rylee or rkirk@syracuse.com.