Concertgoer, 51, who plunged to his death at Madison Square Garden is identified as ‘much-loved’ dad-of-two
The man who fell to his death while attending a concert with his wife at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night has been identified.
Paul Kueker, 51, plummeted 150 feet from the Chase Bridge at a Goose concert shortly before 10pm.
‘He was the greatest kid in the whole wide world,’ Kueker’s grieving mother, Patricia Finelli, told the New York Post through tears.
‘He’d give you the shirt off his back,’ she added.
‘He has two children, a beautiful wife, and he took care of me like I was a piece of gold.’
The incident unfolded during the Connecticut band’s set on the second night of their two-show run at the iconic Manhattan venue.
According to the New York Police Department, officers responded to urgent reports of a fall inside the arena and found the man unconscious and unresponsive at 9.51pm.
Within moments, sections of seating were cordoned off as emergency responders made their way through the crowded venue.
Kueker was taken to Bellevue Hospital by an ambulance, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Paul Kueker, 51 seen with his sister Kricket Kueker Kent, plummeted 150 feet from the Chase Bridge at a Goose concert shortly before 10pm on Saturday
The incident unfolded during the Connecticut band Goose’s set on the second night of their two-show run at the iconic Manhattan venue
Kueker’s grieving mother described him as ‘the greatest kid in the entire world,’ seen with his son Garin, daughter Khloe and wife Kristen Lomme Kueker
One image of the aftermath, shared by a concertgoer, showed several seats caved in at the venue as police tape surrounded the scene.
The Chase Bridge where Kueker dropped from was constructed in 2013 and is suspended catwalk style.
Witnesses described seeing the moment Kueker fell from the upper level into a lower seating bowl.
‘Someone fell. They took him away on a stretcher. They’re not letting us back in our section. They’re going in with mops and re-seating us. I’m section 102,’ one witness wrote in a thread about the incident.
Another who said they were present at the moment of the fall wrote: ‘We were there, my friend saw him fall to the section below us.’
Police reported the investigation is still ongoing.
The rock fan, who worked as director of operations for the energy management’ company Smartcon Solutions, was with his wife at the fateful concert, Fox News reported.
‘We are heartbroken by the sudden passing of Paul Kueker,’ William Brown, the general manager of Smartcon, said in a statement.
‘Paul meant the world to everyone at Smartcon. He was an extraordinary person and a valued member of our team, and the loss is felt deeply across our entire company.
‘Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. He will be profoundly missed.’
Witnesses described seeing the moment Kueker fell from the upper level into a lower seating bowl
The band released a statement after the tragedy saying they were ‘heartbroken’
Some attendees criticized the band for resuming the concert after stopping briefly when Kueker fell.
One Reddit user branded the band ‘insensitive’, writing: ‘People do not normally die during concerts. It’s insane they finished their set with just some roped off seats.’
The band later released a statement saying they were ‘heartbroken.’
‘We are deeply saddened and heartbroken to learn of the tragic event that occurred at last night’s show. We extend our deepest sympathy to everyone affected,’ they wrote.
The band also gave thanks to the emergency personnel and venue staff.
The group, made up of Rick Mitarotonda, Trevor Weeks, Peter Anspach and Cotter Ellis – is currently in the middle of a 27-date tour across 19 cities in the US and Canada.
