RIP

A death metal concert became a calamity Friday night after a vicious storm ripped through an Illinois auditorium, killing one person and injuring 28 others.

The packed show at the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, IL, kicked off about 30 minutes before the massive storm rolled into town, causing the roof to collapse onto some of the more than 260 concertgoers.

Morbid Angel, Revocation, Crypta and Skeletal Remains were all scheduled to hit the stage, but the roof came crashing down and people got trapped underneath the wreckage.

Check out video that surfaced online ... showing the aftermath of the destruction during the mad rush to find victims under the debris.

Firefighters responded to a "mass casualty" incident around 7:30 PM.

Belvidere Fire Chief Shawn Schadle announced one person was killed and over two dozen were injured.

Five of the surviving victims were seriously hurt, five others suffered minor injuries, and 18 more sustained moderate injuries. All 28 were hospitalized.

Everyone who attended the performance was accounted for by 10:15 PM.

The girlfriend of Spencer Webb -- the former football star who tragically passed away in July -- gave birth to their son on Thursday ... sharing the news in an emotional post.

Kelly Kay published several Instagram photos of their son covered in an Oregon Ducks blanket on Friday ... featuring the caption, "Spider Webb 🕷️🕸️ 3/30/23."

The date of their son's birth is a week before Spencer's birthday -- April 7.

As we previously reported, Webb fell to his death during a cliff-diving accident at Triangle Lake in Oregon on July 13, 2022.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office said the 22-year-old tight end hit his head and despite the efforts of bystanders and first responders, they were unable to save him.

This was an emotional pregnancy for Kay ... who said Webb always wanted to be a father.

"I know you'll be the best one from up above," Kay said last August.

"Can't believe I have to do it without you but knowing I'll have a piece of you keeps me going. I can't wait to meet the person that's half you, half me. I love you forever, both of you."

Oscar Pistorius will remain behind bars for the foreseeable future ... the former Olympic sprinter and convicted killer was denied parole in South Africa on Friday.

Pistorius had hoped to get an early release this week ... after he served more than half of the 13-year, 5-month sentence that he was given for shooting and killing his girlfriend, 29-year-old Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013.

But, at the proceedings in Pretoria, officials said he had actually not served the minimum requirement to get parole. Officials said there was some sort of miscalculation of when his formal sentencing actually began, and the hearing would need to be pushed.

Pistorius now will have to wait until August 2024 to reapply for the early release.

Steenkamp's parents attended the hearing to argue Pistorius should remain in prison. According to Sky News, Steenkamp's mom, June, told reporters outside of the venue that she believed the 36-year-old was not remorseful for his actions.

She added that she didn't believe he was rehabilitated either.

The Steenkamps have repeatedly said he belongs behind bars for life.

For his part, Pistorius, a double-amputee nicknamed "Blade Runner," has claimed he never meant to shoot his partner ... saying he thought she was an intruder.

TMZ Hip Hop has obtained new video inside Yo Gotti's Memphis restaurant, and it shows the all-out brawl that prompted the deadly mass shooting that left 2 dead and 5 injured.

In the footage, a crowded corridor inside Prive restaurant sets the scene for Wednesday night's melee which seems to center around one man in a red jacket, and another in a blue one. There's a tense standoff between 5 to 8 people when the guy in red slams into the whole group, and someone tosses a drink ... and then it's total chaos.

The guy in the blue jacket was actually on crutches, but hands them to a woman and then joins the fight … repeatedly throwing punch after punch and dunking a chair on the man in red’s head after he'd been knocked to the floor.

It looks like security attempts to separate people, and the fight spills outside in the parking lot … where the video starts with one man already gunned down, and the guy in blue hopping on one foot yelling at onlookers. He then opens fire with what appears to be a semi-automatic weapon hitting a man in black several times.

The footage shows him hobbling away from the scene as 2 bodies lay on the pavement.

As we reported, 2 people were pronounced dead and law enforcement officials tell us they’re still looking for suspects. We know Yo Gotti was not at the restaurant ... in fact, we're told he wasn't even in Memphis at the time.

Conor McGregor believes the shooter in Tennessee could've been stopped before anyone was hurt IF the building was better protected ... and that's why the UFC superstar believes armed guards are necessary in American schools.

"I would like to see armed protection at each school," 34-year-old McGregor wrote on social media.

Of course, six people -- three children (9-year-olds) and three adults -- were shot and killed on Monday at The Covenant School when a 28-year-old entered the building and went on a murderous rampage before police heroically stopped the shooter, who died at the scene.

McGregor, a dad of three who spends a lot of time in the States and is currently in Orlando, says "I have had my children at school here while stateside and have had my own armed guard present at the school. This was prior to the most recent school shooting also."

Conor continued ... "If she shot her way in to that school from the outside, my guard, who is tucked away, armed and unseen, would have seen her and taken her down. Saving those children’s lives."

Many schools have Resource Officers -- typically retired cops -- stationed at schools, but not always. There have also been fatal shootings at schools where armed security was present.

The Covenant shooting is simply the latest in a long line of horrific attacks ... and has sparked debate among Americans -- how do we protect our kids?

There are a lot of different proposed solutions ... from banning guns to arming teachers. Conor believes the answer is armed guards.

Juicy J is turning his pain from losing his fallen Three 6 Mafia comrade Gangsta Boo into new music ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

The Memphis rap legend is preparing to release his latest mixtape "Mental Trillness" on Friday ... and fans will be delighted to know it samples the late GB's classic track “Where Dem Dollas At” on the Finesse2Tymes-featured "Work Out."

GB's voice pops again on the track “Follow Home Robbers,” where her verse from her 2014 song "Come Off Dat" song is used to complete the record.

Juicy, DJ Paul, Crunchy Black, and the rest of the Three 6 crew have been in mourning since GB's death on New Year's Day -- due to a purported drug overdose -- and he's now using his music to prevent fans from experiencing their own downfalls.

Juicy created the “Mental Trillness" mantra for listeners who are fighting "frustration, depression, confusion, drug abuse, relationship problems" etc. in an effort to get them closer to the healing stage.

He's already dropped off the single "No Rapper" alongside newcomers Aleza, Slimeroni, K Carbon and there's 17 more tracks to follow ... with contributions from the likes of La Chat, Hittkidd, Gilbere Forté, Xavier Wulf and more!!!

The Nashville mass shooter was reportedly torn up over the death of a close friend months before unleashing a murderous attack at a Christian school.

Audrey Hale was totally devastated after Sydney Shere Sims was killed in a car crash in August, former classmate Samira Hardcastle told NBC News.

Hale "definitely admired" Sims as they together attended Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Arts and the Nashville School of the Arts, Hardcastle said.

Maria Colomy, one of Hale's former teachers at another school, recalled that Sims' untimely death was an emotional wrecking ball for her former student.

Colomy paraphrased Hale's social media posts about the accident, stating something to the effect that Sims was "all that mattered" and "I'll miss you forever."

As we reported ... Hale went on a bloody rampage at Covenant School on Monday, fatally shooting three 9-year-old students and three employees in their 60s.

Two Nashville police officers shot and killed Hale on the second floor of the private elementary school.

Cops said Hale penned a manifesto detailing the school attack and identifying other potential targets.

Police Chief John Drake said Hale -- a 28-year-old biological female who identified as male -- was a former student at the school and resented having to attend classes there.

A Tennessee restaurant owned by hip hop star Yo Gotti is the site of a mass shooting that's killed 2 people, and left at least 5 others injured.

Law enforcement officials tell TMZ ... cops were called to Prive restaurant in Memphis around 11:30 PM Wednesday after a barrage of gunfire erupted in the parking lot, following a confrontation inside the restaurant that eventually spilled outside.

We're told one man was found dead in the parking lot, and the other passed away at a hospital.

Police say 4 other men and one woman were also sprayed with bullets. All of them were driven in private vehicles to hospitals for treatment. Their conditions were not released.

While Gotti does own Prive, a source tells us he was not in Memphis last night ... and none of his family members are among the victims.

The assailant or assailants fled and are still at large. Police have not said what triggered the initial altercation.

Images surfaced online showing officers investigating the scene with crime tape around the perimeter of the restaurant and patrol cars parked in front.

You might recall, Prive was temporarily closed in November 2021 for fear of retaliation violence after rapper Young Dolph was murdered about 10 miles away in Memphis. Police officers stood guard outside the establishment, but nothing happened.

The Predators were joined by the Bruins in honoring the victims of the school shooting in Nashville before their game in Boston on Tuesday night ... and the tributes to the six who tragically died were very emotional.

Just before the puck dropped on the contest at TD Garden ... the two teams and their fans had a moment of silence. The arena's public address announcer told the crowd at the time, "The Boston Bruins stand alongside the Nashville Predators in solidarity against gun violence and in support of the Nashville community."

Players were visibly shaken as the venue went silent ... and the names of the six victims -- three of whom were just 9 years old -- were displayed on the stadium's jumbotron.

The two teams also wore stickers on their helmets to honor The Covenant School -- where a 28-year-old gunman shot the six on Monday morning. The Preds urged people to donate to support survivors as well.

The game was the Predators' first since the tragedy ... and they ended up winning despite all the pregame emotions -- beating the best team in the NHL, 2-1.

Before the contest began, Predators head coach John Hynes called all of Monday's events "a really sad situation."

Big celebrities are pitching in to help victims of the Nashville elementary school shooting ... by donating thousands of dollars.

GoFundMes have been set up for the families of the six people killed and others wounded in Monday's shooting ... including one for the Kinney family, whose 9-year-old son, William, was one of the three children murdered by 28-year-old Audrey Hale.

The Kinney family received a $2K donation from former Bears QB Jay Cutler, who lives in Nashville. Donations have been pouring in to benefit the Kinney family ... the fundraiser is already well past its $50K goal.

Former 'Bachelorette' star Kaitlyn Bristowe donated $1K to a campaign that goes to all six families as well as those wounded. Jena Sims, actress and wife of star golfer Brooks Koepka, also put $1K into the fund.

John Carter Cash, son of singer Johnny Cash, donated $2K.

A slew of stars have expressed their outrage over the massacre on social media ... demanding politicians strengthen gun safety laws.

The headmaster killed in the Nashville school mass shooting died a hero ... reportedly trying to stop the assailant in order to save her students.

Katherine Koonce was one of six people shot dead at Covenant School on Monday as Audrey Hale went on a bloody rampage with two assault rifles and a 9MM semi-automatic.

The head of school had previously prepared her students and staff for an active shooter situation and fearlessly sprang into action when the bullets started flying.

Nashville City Councilman Russ Pulley told FOX News that Koonce, 60, promptly ended a Zoom meeting after the first gunshot and didn't think twice about going after the 28-year-old Hale.

Pulley said, "She immediately ended the call, got up and headed straight for the shooter," indicating that Koonce may have clashed with Hale in a hallway.

Pulley added, "She did what principals and headmasters do; she protected her children."

Nashville Police Chief John Drake confirmed at a Tuesday press conference that Koonce was involved in a "confrontation, I’m sure – you can tell the way she was lying in the hallway," but Drake did not elaborate.

Koontz's local pastor, John Bourgeois, celebrated her selfless act in a message to his congregation at West End Community Church in Nashville. Bourgeois wrote, "She gave her life in defense of the children under her care."

Police say two of Koontz's colleagues, both 61, were also murdered: Cynthia Peak, a substitute teacher and Mike Hill, a custodian. In addition, three 9-year-old students were killed: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney.

Two cops were seen on body cam footage fatally shooting Hale on the second floor of the private Christian elementary school.

Chief Drake said Hale had written a manifesto detailing the deadly attack and listing other potential targets. The contents of the manifesto were not disclosed.

Drake also said Hale -- who was a biological female but identified as male -- was a former student at the school and resented having to attend classes there, which was "why this incident occurred."

One entrepreneur/inventor has a creative and seemingly effective way teachers and students can protect themselves against school shootings ... a safe room embedded in classrooms.

We talked to Kevin Thomas Tuesday on "TMZ Live," and he broke down a product he sells through his company, KT Solutions. It's basically four foldable walls -- they look like dry erase whiteboards -- a teacher can quickly pull out to create a bulletproof shelter to hide kids in a nightmare like the one in Nashville.

Kevin calls it RASR, or ... Rapid Access Safe Rooms. They're available to the public, but are intended for classrooms -- as they offer educators/pupils a quick option to seek cover and protection in the event a mass shooter is roaming the halls ... and cops aren't there yet.

Check out the video to see how it works -- the "room" is flat at first and can function as just one wall or whiteboard for teachers and students ... so it has multipurpose utility for the school beyond just protection.

If there's an active shooter situation and a school wants something beyond locked doors to help, they can use RASR to open up a full-blown safe room good enough for the military and government agencies -- so says Thomas. In other words, it's impenetrable.

There's a demonstration here that shows you how to do it ... it's actually quite simple, and only takes seconds to lock into place. It's not the permanent fix to this ongoing issue -- as Thomas notes -- but this can certainly save lives in the interim.

We asked Thomas what sparked this innovative idea, and he said the Uvalde, TX school shooting forced his hand. As far as the price, it's $50k for delivery and installation -- and while one might presume this would come out of a school budget ... KT says that's not necessarily the case.

Adnan Syed, the man whose murder conviction was overturned after 23 years behind bars, is heading back to court -- his conviction's been reinstated, but it doesn't necessarily mean he's going back to prison.

Here's the deal ... the family of Syed's victim, Hae Min Lee, successfully appealed the overturning of his conviction -- a decision prosecutors in Maryland made last year, but the family said they were completely blindsided by his release.

On Tuesday, a Maryland appeals court reinstated Syed's murder conviction, and now a new hearing will take place ... where new DNA evidence supporting his claim of innocence could be presented.

As we reported, the family of Hae Min -- who was murdered in 1999 -- didn't think the new evidence was enough to release Syed, and they were upset it was never presented during trial.

Bottom line: They want their day in court, because they still believe Syed -- whose case was heavily publicized on the "Serial" podcast -- is responsible for Hae Min's murder.

The appeals court move will, at least, give them that -- with the conviction reinstated, the evidentiary hearing will ultimately determine whether Syed remains free or returns to prison.

BTW -- Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby told us back in September her team tried many ways to notify the Lee family about Syed's release, insisting they wouldn't have dug deeper on the DNA evidence without first contacting them.

You'll recall, Syed filed multiple appeals while behind bars, but was constantly rejected. The popularity of "Serial" in 2014 brought his case national attention ... and made many listeners question his guilt.

Nashville Police have released graphic body cam footage from the elementary school mass shooting ... and the video shows hero cops racing up the stairs and gunning the shooter down.

The intense clip was released Tuesday morning, showing multiple officers clearing classrooms and bathrooms on the first floor of The Covenant School before rushing upstairs where 28-year-old Audrey Hale was shooting at cops outside the building.

The police officers find Hale near a window, and officer Rex Engelbert, a 4-year veteran, fires multiple shots at Hale, putting the shooter on the ground. -- a second officer, Michael Collazo, a 9-year veteran shoots Hale again.

As we reported, Hale entered the building with 3 weapons -- a 9MM semiautomatic and 2 assault-type rifles. Hale fatally shot a total of 6 people, including 3 9-year-old children.

Video released by Nashville PD Monday showed Hale spraying the front glass door with bullets before entering ... then could be seen roaming the halls with one gun raised.

Maksym Galinichev -- a European boxing champ and Youth Olympic medalist -- was tragically killed while defending Ukraine against Russian troops. He was only 22.

Galinichev was with the 25th Separate Airborne Sicheslav Brigade (part of Ukraine's Air Assault Force) when he was killed on March 10 ... Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, announced on Twitter, saying Galinichev was defending Ukraine in Luhansk region.

"Maksym enlisted as a volunteer and came back to the frontlines twice after being wounded and recovering," Geraschenko said.

"Eternal memory to Hero."

The Ukrainian boxer started his career when he was just 10 -- winning two gold medals at the European Youth Championship and the silver medal at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Argentina.

He could've participated in the European Boxing Championships in Armenia last year but refused so he could join Ukrainian forces.

Tributes from fans and athletes have been flooding social media since his death, including from Vladyslav Heraskevych, the first-ever skeleton racer from Ukraine, who praised Galinichev for defending his country.

"Glory to Hero 😢"

The Nashville shooter had an art page for their works, including one that's now giving people pause ... a rendition that highlights 'The Shining,' including one of its haunting refrains.

28-year-old Audrey Hale -- who identified as a man with he/him pronouns, and who apparently started using the name Aiden of late -- was a graphic artist and illustrator ... and Hale's AH Illustrations website is now being pored over in the wake of the massacre.

As you know ... authorities ID'd Hale as the person who killed six people Monday, including 3 kids and 3 adults with an AR-15-style gun. A motive is unknown, and Hale is dead now too.

Because of the inexplicable carnage ... folks are looking for answers anywhere they can -- including in Hale's artwork, which has gone under a microscope in the wake of the tragedy. One piece, in particular, has made some feel like Hale was telegraphing sinister intentions.

It's a digital drawing of Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance from Stanley Kubrick's famed 1980 horror flick ... the shot of him looking crazed as he stares out the window, specifically.

There's more to the disturbing creation, including the notorious phrase "REDRUM" ... which is "MURDER" spelled backward and which was heavily featured in the film. That phrase is prominently displayed in Hale's art, as are other quotes and phrases from 'The Shining.'

Aside from this, Hale's art is mostly innocuous and interesting. Hale's bio is also pretty mellow -- describing Hale as a freelance artist whose art attempts to bring a "whimsical and light-hearted feel."

Hale talks about enjoying video games, watching movies and playing sports ... going on to say this, "There is a child-like part about me that loves to go run to the playground. Animals are my second passion, so I also enjoy spending time with my two cats."

A self-portrait says Hale's on a "mission to change the world." Cops say Hale left a manifesto behind, although its contents haven't been revealed. Hale was armed with two rifles during the onslaught, and law enforcement has indicated more weapons were at Hale's home.