Electric Zoo Canceled After Two MDMA-Related Deaths
The third day of New York’s Electric Zoo was canceled today due to “serious health risks,” according to a statement from the City. “The City recommended cancellation and the event promoters have agreed,” it continued. Since the festival started on Friday on Randall’s Island, two attendees have died and at least four others are critically ill. “Definitive causes of death have not yet been determined, however, both appear to have involved the drug MDMA (ecstasy, or molly),” reads the statement from the City. “The Electric Zoo organizers have worked with City officials to reduce health risks at this event, but in view of these occurrences, the safest course is to cancel the remaining day of the event.”
Electric Zoo’s website currently reads: “The founders of Electric Zoo send our deepest condolences to the families of the two people who passed away this weekend. Because there is nothing more important to us than our patrons, we have decided in consultation with the New York City Parks Department that there will be no show today.”
Police identified the victims as Jeffrey Russ, 24, of Rochester, N.Y., and Olivia Rotondo, 20, of Providence, R.I. According to The New York Post, Rotondo told an EMS worker she took six hits of molly. More details are included in this report by Associated Press.