An attendee of Riot Fest identified as a 58-year-old Arlington Heights man, Stephen Shult, succumbed to his injuries sustained during the festival. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed that Shult died on Thursday at 1:48 p.m., noting that the cause of death is pending, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. While enjoying the festival with his daughter and friends on Sept. 22, Shult sustained head trauma, that after initial recovery efforts, ultimately led to his untimely passing.
The incident occurred during the popular music festival held in Douglass Park, however, details surrounding how Shult sustained his injuries are currently unclear. The family, upon not finding Shult at a designated meeting spot post-Slayer set, learned through the festival's Facebook group that he had been transported to Stroger Hospital's Neurosciences ICU. Per the same Chicago Sun-Times report, family and friends suspect Shult may have been injured in the Slayer crowd, a claim the festival organizers dispute.
According to the organizers' statement shared by WGN-TV, a medical team responded to a "medical incident" near the Ferris Wheel at Riot Fest before Slayer's performance. The festival’s organizers have stressed that the injuries did not result from a fight or an altercation and have called for the community to support each other during this difficult time. Riot Fest has a clean record without any deaths associated with the festival before this tragedy.
A family friend, Kevin Soto, has a different account of the events, believing that Shult may have been injured while watching Slayer. "Mosh pits can form very quickly and if you’re not ready, things can get pretty serious," Soto told the Chicago Sun-Times, elaborating on the physical evidence of injury evident on Shult’s body.
Shult underwent a craniotomy to address brain swelling, but later slipped into a coma, eventually leading his family to make the heart-wrenching decision to cease life support, as Shult's daughter, Jen Eaton, described on the GoFundMe page dedicated to her father’s arrangements. Eaton expressed her gratitude towards all who supported them through this ordeal, "I want to thank each and every person who has helped us from the very beginning in this terrible journey," adding, "this is devastating". Further details on funeral arrangements have not been shared by the family at this time.
