Four people were taken to local hospitals after sustaining minor injuries at B5’s set during a free, radio-station-sponsored concert inside a mall in Minnesota on Saturday. Members of the Diddy-discovered boy band were tackled by fans.
“Things were falling off the stage, girls were falling off the stage, girls started fighting,” witness Theresa Curtis said. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, two of the five who make up B5 were tackled and showered with kisses. Some fans tried to strip members of B5 of their clothes; Dustin Breeding’s T-shirt was torn from his body, Carnell’s hat was swiped and Kelly’s earrings were stolen. Security guards intervened, rushing the band away from the crowd.
More than 70 police officers, representing 23 different local departments, were summoned to the mall to restore order. It took 15 minutes to get the crowd under control, and another 30 to empty the mall, the AP reported. The mall was reopened several hours later.