Police identify third victim who died in fiery New Year crash; motive remains unknown

Police on Friday identified a third victim who died in a fiery car crash outside a music venue[1] after a New Year’s Eve concert in upstate New York. Dawn Revette, 54, of Rochester, died Wednesday from injuries sustained when she was struck by the vehicle shortly after midnight on January 1, Rochester Police Chief David Smith said at a news conference. One victim remains in an in-patient treatment facility with injuries that are not life-threatening, he said; the rest of the victims have been released from the hospital.

Police said suspect Michael Avery, 35, was driving an SUV full of gas canisters and appeared to “intentionally” speed toward pedestrians after a concert, before slamming into another vehicle, killing two passengers and injuring several others. The crash ignited a fire that took about an hour to extinguish and left the scene littered with charred gas canisters, debris and the burned-out frame of Avery’s rental vehicle, according to authorities and images of the aftermath. Police have not released a possible motive.

Avery also died. He had worked as a traveling delivery driver in the past, visited the area at least twice earlier in December, and was familiar with the surroundings, Smith said. Police said that after checking into the Woods Spring Suites on December 27, Avery spent several days buying and filling gas canisters.

They also found that Avery spent several hours around the Kodak Center the night before, likely scouting the location, Smith said. Avery bought a ticket to a concert on the night of December 31, 2023, but never used it, police said. “Instead, Avery spent time around the theater, including nearby parking lots, until commencing his attack while searching the vehicle used in the attack,” Smith said.

Investigators found a “Glock style replica handgun” in his car, Smith said, and lighters littered “throughout the vehicle.”

Police said they have not identified any links from Avery to political, racial or extremist ideologies or co-conspirators.

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References

1. ^ fiery car crash outside a music venue (www.cnn.com)
2. ^ CNN.com (www.cnn.com)