A father of two died after falling from an elevated section at Madison Square Garden during a concert on Saturday night, the day before Father’s Day. He had been there to celebrate 25 years of marriage with his wife.
Paul Kueker, 51, a green energy executive from Connecticut, was attending a Goose concert with his wife Kristen when he fell approximately 150 feet shortly before 10PM. Police do not suspect foul play, though the investigation remains ongoing.
Kristen did not see her husband fall. According to his mother Patricia Finelli, Kueker got up to use the restroom and never came back.
“He got up to go to the bathroom, and he didn’t come back,” Finelli told the New York Daily News.
“She was getting worried after 10 or 15 minutes. And he didn’t come back.”
Police found Kristen inside the stadium and broke the news to her there. Kueker was transported to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. He had been seated in Section 300 of the arena at the time.
The mother’s heartbreaking words about her son
Finelli spoke emotionally about her son, describing him as someone who would do anything for the people he loved.
“He was the greatest kid in the whole wide world. He’d give you the shirt off his back,” she said.
“He has two children, a beautiful wife, and he took care of me like I was a piece of gold.”
She confirmed the couple’s 25th wedding anniversary falls on Tuesday, and that the concert had been a celebration of the milestone.
Truibutes from Goose and employer of Kueker
Goose were performing the second night of a two-show run at MSG when the incident occurred and completed their full set without being informed of what had happened. The band later released a statement expressing their condolences.
“We are deeply saddened and heartbroken to learn of the tragic event that occurred at tonight’s show,” they wrote.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to everyone affected.”
Kueker’s employer Smartcon also paid tribute, with general manager William Brown describing him as “an extraordinary person and a valued member of our team” whose loss “is felt deeply across our entire company.”
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