A suburban music venue is accused of not preventing the sexual assault of a teenager during a concert, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Tinley Park’s Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, which is owned by Live Nation, is facing a lawsuit centered around allegations of negligent security during the venue’s Wiz Khalifa concert last July.
“It’s a life-changing event that happened to her and it’s something that can never be undone. And so, this is something she’ll live with for the rest of her life,” said Molly Wells, attorney for the teenage girl.
The then-16-year-old says on her way to the restroom a man took her into an unlocked and restricted area of the venue and sexually assaulted her. That man was arrested and indicted on felony charges for criminal sexual assault of the girl, according to the lawsuit.
“This venue knew that safety and security at its concerts was a risk, they had security there, they didn’t have enough and they weren’t doing enough,” said Wells.
The lawsuit claims Live Nation has a history of negligent security at its concerts, citing the following examples:
- The suicide bombing at the Ariana Grande concert in London in 2017.
- The mass shooting later that year at Jason Aldean’s concert in Vegas.
- The deadly crush of people at Houston’s Astroworld Festival in 2021.
- Later that year – the rapper Drakeo The Ruler was stabbed to death backstage at a festival in LA.
- Two women were shot to death during a music festival in Washington in 2023.
Live Nation sent NBC Chicago a statement in response to the lawsuit: “The safety and security of our guests is our top priority. We cooperated fully with law enforcement regarding this case. As this matter involves ongoing litigation, we do not have anything further to share at this time.”
