Two women have died from asphyxiation and injuries sustained after a rap concert in New York ended as a crowd rushed to the exit amid unconfirmed reports of a shootout, police said.

A concert by rapper GloRilla filled the hall at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, New York on Sunday night. No problems arose until the very end of the concert, when word spread through the crowd that shots had been fired.

Police reported increased pressure at the exits of the building, with many spectators frantically running for the doors, pushing and trampling others.

Police found a 33-year-old woman unconscious, later declared dead, and several injured, two of whom were in critical condition. On Monday night (local time), another woman died, according to New York authorities. Another woman is fighting for her life, and seven others were slightly injured.

“Upon further investigation … none of the injuries sustained by any of the victims were consistent with the person having been shot,” Rochester Police Deputy Nicholas Adams said. “The injuries appear to be the result of a large crowd pushing towards the exits following reports that people heard what they thought were gunshots.”

Such witnesses spoke about the shots not inside the building, but outside, on the street, which caused panic among those present at the concert. Those heading for the exit first turned back inside and ran into those who ran outside in a panic as rumors of the shooting prompted them to flee.

Source: CNN, New York Times.