The mother of two Rebecca Ikumelo was remembered by her family for her “care, generosity, and love” after she passed away at an O2 Academy Brixton event due to a crowd crush.
Rebecca was a nursing graduate, according to a statement made by her family and distributed through the Metropolitan police. She was a sweet mother of two who cherished working with youngsters.
She earned the family’s esteem for her compassion, thoughtfulness, and love. Her parents refer to her as Tosin, which is short for Oluwatosin and means “the Lord is worthy.”
Ikumelo, 33, of Newham, east London, was one of three people who sustained critical injuries on Thursday as concertgoers tried to enter the venue in south London without tickets for a performance by the Nigerian musician Asake.
Another relative, Temiope Olodo, tweeted: “My favorite Niece, Rebecca Ikumelo, passed away today as a result of wounds received at the @asakemusik Concert.
“The family of Olodo and Ikumelo has suffered a significant loss. I am unable to control my tears.
She was a beautiful woman who exuded great energy and was committed to being the best version of herself for her children, according to author Toni Tone, who also paid tribute to Ikumelo. She also made significant contributions to the cause of autism spectrum disorder.
After Ikumelo passed away in the hospital on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police Department posted a photo of her.
On Sunday, there will be a postmortem.
The status of two further women, 21 and 23, who attended the event on Thursday is still critical.
She passed away, and Asake claimed to be “devastated” and “overwhelmed with sadness.” “I send my deepest sympathies to her family at this difficult moment. Please remember to pray for her family. I’ve spoken to them and will keep doing so,” he declared.
To find out exactly what caused all the disruption and, eventually, Rebecca’s death, my team and I are still awaiting the full debrief from the venue management and the police.
Please contact the Metropolitan police if you have any pertinent information about this.
As the Labour Member of Parliament for Vauxhall, Florence Eshalomi, put it, “I visited the site again this morning and I’ve been dreading this news ever since the event, thinking it would never come.
“Rebecca Ikumelo was 33 years old and had a bright future ahead of her. This is such a devastating loss, and I send my condolences to her family and friends.
“There are undoubtedly numerous concerns about how this was let to occur, and it is critical that the authorities thoroughly investigate these. As this scenario develops, I keep in constant contact with Lambeth Council and the police.
Police Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove stated on Friday, “I’d like to convey my sympathies to all those who have been affected. Our sympathies are with them after seeing some of the extremely heartbreaking pictures on social media.
“Detectives from our specialist crime command are currently leading an urgent investigation, and cordons are still in place as police continue to work at the scene.
We are trying to determine the circumstances leading up to the incident, but this is still a fluid and developing picture.
We are also aware of a significant amount of video that has been posted on social media; naturally, this video, along with that from the officers’ body-worn cameras, will be scrutinized as part of the investigation.
He urged anyone with knowledge to come forward and added that police had established up an online platform for the submission of images and videos.
In a statement posted to Twitter, the O2 Academy Brixton said: “All of us at the O2 Academy Brixton and Academy Music Group are extremely grieved by the news of Rebecca Ikumelo’s untimely passing.
“We extend our sincere sympathies to Rebecca’s family and friends, and at this terribly trying time, our thoughts are with everyone affected by this heartbreaking news.”
“I am grieved by the unfortunate death of Rebecca Ikumelo, who very sadly passed away following the awful events on Thursday night in Brixton,” said Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, on Saturday.
“Rebecca had a whole life ahead of her, and I would like to offer my sympathies to her family, friends, and loved ones at this incredibly painful time on behalf of all Londoners.
“I continue to think of everyone impacted by this terrible occurrence. The investigation into what occurred must be finished as soon as feasible. To make sure that something similar doesn’t happen again, City Hall is in touch with venues and authorities all throughout London.
The Met opened an inquiry into what it called a “very upsetting” event on Friday.
After being alerted to the location at around 9.35 p.m. on Thursday, police discovered a number of people with “injuries suspected to have been caused by crushing.”
Ahmed Ololade, better known as Asake, is a nominee for the BBC Radio 1 Sound of 2023 award, which recognizes emerging artists in the UK.
Before the show, he tweeted on Twitter requesting that attendees had a valid ticket in order to enter the venue.
The event marked the third of three sold-out performances at the 4,921-seat facility and wrapped up a run of UK appearances.
