By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-21 19:01:55 | Updated at 2026-06-21 21:03:43
2 hours ago
The man who fell to his death in front of his horrified wife on Saturday night during a concert at Madison Square Garden has been identified.
51-year-old Paul Kueker plummeted 150 feet from the Chase Bridge at a Goose concert shortly before 10 p.m.
'He was the greatest kid in the whole wide world,” Kueker’s grieving mother, Patricia Finelli, lamented to the New York Post through tears.
The bereaved mother added 'He’d give you the shirt off his back.'
'He has two children, a beautiful wife, and he took care of me like I was a piece of gold.'
The dire incident unfolded during the Connecticut jam band’s set on the second night of their two-show run at the iconic Manhattan venue, part of their Summer 2026 tour, turning what had been a celebratory atmosphere into panic and disbelief.
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 swiftly transported to Bellevue Hospital by an ambulance, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
51-year-old Paul Kueker plummeted 150 feet from the elevated Chase Bridge section at the concert shortly before 10 p.m.
His grieving mother described him as 'The greatest kid in the entire world', as the man's death occurred only day prior to father's day, exacerbating the tragedy
The concert however did not halt after Kueker's fall and resumed, continuing till it's original end time
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 declared they were present at the moment of the fall wrote 'We were there, my friend saw him fall to the section below us.'
Police report the investigation is still ongoing.
However the incident has swiftly converted a number of fans.
Many attendees stated outrage that the band did not seem to be deterred by the incident in the slightest, as they continued the show till its original finish time.
One Reddit user branded the band 'Insensitive', 'People do not normally die during concerts. It's insane they finished their set with just some roped off seats.'
Another added that the band claimed to have made a statement during the second set, 'yeah no they didn't' they wrote.
The Connecticut jam band later expressed they are 'heartbroken' in a poignant statement shared to Instagram.
'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'
The band gave thanks to the emergency personnel and venue staff who assisted with aid.
The horrifying incident unfolded during the band’s performance at the Garden, where Goose was playing the second night of a two-show run at the famed New York venue.
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.
The tragedy cast a dark shadow over what should have been a momentous night for the fast-rising rock band.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Maddison Square Garden for comment.
This is a developing story.
