Chicago’s police and the fire department have reported that a 53-year-old man from Memphis was stabbed in the chest downtown outside the sold-out Lollapalooza while trying to scalp tickets last night. According to police, the unidentified victim told police he was standing Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Avenue near Grant Park selling tickets at 6:57 p.m. when he was confronted by a group of four younger men who tried to snatch the tickets out of his hand. The man fled but was chased down by the men, who stabbed him in the chest. The victim, who was saved by a bystander who called 911, remains hospitalized in good condition late Saturday morning, according to Northwestern Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Lindsey Fox.
In unrelated news, on Friday crowds of people jumped the fence, gaining free entrance into the festival. According to one local report, “Everyone congregated on the corner. It was probably 3-hundred people and they were like 1-2-3 let’s go. Security looked at us and said guys bring it,” one concert goer said.
Lollapalooza, which was delayed on Saturday due to heavy rain, runs until Sunday.
Image from Lollapalooza 2010