A Brooklyn woman claims she was left with “permanent injuries” after being trampled during a chaotic stampede sparked by false reports of gunfire at a 2022 boxing match at Barclays Center, according to a recently filed lawsuit against the arena and several affiliated companies.
The incident unfolded around 1 a.m. on May 29, 2022, shortly after a boxing match headlined by Baltimore native Gervonta Davis and Rolando Romero, promoted by Mayweather Promotions. A loud noise on the street, later confirmed not to be gunfire, sparked widespread panic among attendees.
According to the NYPD, as a large crowd was leaving the arena, the sound caused people to rush in multiple directions, with some fleeing the scene and others attempting to reenter the venue. At least 16 people were injured in the resulting chaos.
Tennis star Naomi Osaka was among those caught in the panic, later saying she was left “petrified” as she sheltered in a room amid fears of an active shooter.
In a lawsuit filed May 28, Idiana Gonzalez, who says she was working at the arena that evening, alleges she suffered serious injuries, including a shoulder injury that required surgery, after being knocked down and trampled in the chaos.
In her complaint, Gonzalez accuses the arena’s owners and operators — including Brooklyn Events Center, LLC, ASM Global, BSE Global, AEG Management Brooklyn, and Mayweather Promotions — of failing to provide adequate security and emergency response protocols, despite allegedly knowing the potential for such an incident.
The lawsuit also names unidentified corporate entities and individuals, claiming the venue operators violated safety codes and prioritized profits over patron safety.
The complaint accuses the defendants of “failing to warn employees of known and dangerous conditions and individuals on the property,” and alleges they had prior notice of the potential for a stampede but failed to implement a system to prevent or respond to it.
The suit seeks an unspecified amount in damages, asserting that the defendants are jointly and severally liable under New York law for Gonzalez’s physical and emotional injuries, as well as ongoing medical expenses.
Barclays Center and the other named defendants did not respond to requests for comment.
Gonzalez’s attorney also declined to comment while the case is ongoing. The lawsuit, filed in Kings County Supreme Court, just before the statute of limitations expired, follows six other personal injury suits tied to the same incident over the past three years.
