In what was ironically dubbed a "unity show," four members of the Ruff Ryders/Cash Money troupe were stabbed in a backstage melee that abruptly cut their show at the Boston's FleetCenter short Monday night. The incident occurred shortly before 10 p.m., but no cause has been given to what touched off the fight. "All we know at this point is that it occurred in a restricted area, and that the audience was unaware that there was any problem," said Boston police spokesperson Lisa Zschuschen.

DMX, Eve and Juvenile were among those scheduled to perform at the concert, which was sponsored by the groups' respective record labels. But the show was halted while police and paramedics responded to a call for help from the FleetCenter. While police estimated that as many as ten people may have been injured, only five were taken to nearby hospitals -- four were stabbing victims and one victim was struck over the head with a marble bench. "Two of the victims were treated and released, one is in stable condition, and we're waiting for an update on the other two," Zschuschen said. The victims' names have not been released.

Two arrests were made in connection with the incident. David Smith, thirty-four of Randolph, Mass., was arrested on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. "He hurled a six-foot-wide marble seat at an individual, striking the victim in the head," Zschuschen claimed. The second arrest was Benny Reyes, twenty-two of New York, who was arrested for possession of marijuana.

At 11 p.m., the show's promoters asked the crowd of more than 5,000 people to leave the venue, before headliners Eve and DMX had performed. Other than chants of "We want our money back," there were no reported incidents.

"We don't know whether this event will impact on our future shows," said Jim Delaney, head of public relations for the FleetCenter. "We're still waiting to see what shakes out with the police investigation."

Full refunds will be given to all ticketholders for the next thirty days.

JAAN UHELSZKI
(April 5, 2000)