Medical Examiner Rules Madison Square Garden Concert Fall an Accidental Death
A medical examiner has ruled the death of a 51-year-old concertgoer who fell during a Goose show at Madison Square Garden on 20 June an accident, attributing the cause to multiple blunt impact injuries.
The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner determined that Paul Keuker died of multiple blunt impact injuries and ruled his manner of death accidental, according to Rolling Stone, which cited an ABC7 report. Keuker, a resident of Niantic, Connecticut, had been at the venue with his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary, People reported.
The deceased's surname appears as "Keuker" in Rolling Stone's reporting and as "Kueker" in People's coverage; the two outlets published their accounts on the same day, 19 August, and the discrepancy remains unexplained.
Keuker fell from an elevated position in the arena during the concert, plunging approximately 150 feet from a balcony, according to the New York Post. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Witnesses on social media described police taping off roughly seven rows of the lower section where Keuker fell and re-seating affected attendees elsewhere in the arena, Rolling Stone reported. Despite the incident, the concert continued. Goose performed a full set and encore that was streamed live on Amazon Music.
The band, which had been notified of the death, paid tribute to Keuker before taking the stage for their next Madison Square Garden show less than 24 hours later, according to SPIN's Facebook page. Goose also shared a statement on Instagram on 22 June saying they were "deeply saddened and heartbroken" and extending their deepest sympathy to everyone affected.
An MSG Entertainment spokesperson told Rolling Stone the venue was awaiting the police report on the incident and expressed deep sadness over the loss of a fan's life at Madison Square Garden.
Goose are set to begin a 2026 headlining tour in support of their sixth studio album, Big Modern!, launching on 3 November at The Midland Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri, and wrapping on 21 November at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York.
