Morbid Angel have shared a new statement following the tragedy at their Illinois show on Friday night, where one person died and 28 were injured when the venue’s roof collapsed due to severe weather. The person who died has been identified as Fred Livingston Jr., 50 years old. His sister, Deanna Hicks, told ABC7 Chicago that he was at the show with his son Alex, who is “okay.” “On behalf of the family of Frederick Forest Livingston, Jr. Fred was a son, brother, father, uncle and grandpa. Fred was a car (proud owner of a 1967 GTO) and Heavy Metal enthusiast. Fred had a big heart and cared for others deeply. Please keep all of Fred’s family and friends in your thoughts. Please respect our privacy,” she told ABC7.

In their statement, Morbid Angel say, “we want to first and foremost send our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the individual who tragically lost their life last night in the venue roof collapse due to heavy winds from a Tornado. We lost a brother in Metal last night, and many were hurt and injured in this tragedy. We would like to express how truly thankful we are for those in attendance (Fans, Venue Staff, Bands and Crew) that assisted with getting people out and to safety. We want to thank the First responders (Fire, EMT, Police) that were on the scene quickly and were able to help in getting people out of the venue and to hospitals for treatment as quickly as possible. YOU ARE TRUE HEROES! At this time our minds continue to remain with all those who were injured and hospitalized, as well as everyone who was effected by the storms in the surrounding area. We truly hope for a fast recovery of all who were injured. As a result of the events of last night, we are working to re-scheduling tonight’s show in Joliet, IL to Wednesday April 5th. With that said, our focus remains with the Victims of this terrible storm.”

A GoFundMe has been launched on Livingston’s behalf by his niece, Bethany Mills. It reads:

It is with great sorrow that we have to share the unexpected passing of Fred Livingston Jr. On March 31st, a tragic event at the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, Illinois led to the loss of a great man. Fred was an amazing man that leaves behind his three sons, Alex, Fred III, and Shane, along with the rest of his family that cared about him deeply.

Our family still cannot comprehend this unexpected tragedy and we are asking for donations to help with the costs that come along with losing a family member. On behalf of our family, we greatly appreciate any support that can be offered to help get us through this tough time.

We hope to update you soon on more details for services to honor the life of a son, brother, father and grandpa who will be truly missed.

Another GoFundMe has been launched for an attendee who was severely injured in the roof collapse, Michelle. It reads:

I’m sure you saw the theater collapse on the news/internet. My close friend of 18 years was severely injured in this incident. She broke her spine and 10 ribs, a huge laceration on the back of her head. She will be getting surgery and will be out of work and in recovery for an extended period.
I can update more as time progresses. She shouldn’t have to worry about rent for a while though, any little bit will help. Thanks for taking the time to read this!

PS – I’m struggling to come up with the right words.
Michelle’s sister Katie said it better:
“If you haven’t seen in the news, a theater in Belvidere collapsed during a small concert last night. My sister was there and has major injuries. She has 10 broken ribs, a laceration to the back of her head, a broken wrist, and worst of all she broke her back. Her fiancé was with and also has significant injuries. Please… if you can’t donate PLEASE take the time to share this link. The last thing they need to be worried about is paying their everyday bills. They have months of recovery time ahead of them both. Please pray for my sister and her fiance”

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has confirmed that the severe weather event that collapsed Apollo Theatre’s roof was an EF-1 tornado, one of twelve tornadoes they confirmed in Illinois on Friday.