15 charged in riot that erupted after cancelled Lil Baby show in Vancouver

PNE rioters charged Fifteen young men have now been charged in connection with a riot at a music festival on the PNE grounds last year.

Authorities have announced charges against 15 teenage boys and young men who were allegedly involved in a riot at an East Vancouver music festival last summer.

Violence erupted at the Breakout Festival at the PNE Amphitheatre after headliner Lil Baby's performance was abruptly cancelled at the last minute, with rioters allegedly causing upwards of $300,000 in property damage.

On Tuesday, the Vancouver Police Department confirmed counts of mischief have been approved against 15 suspects who were between the ages of 15 and 22 at the time of the incident.

Insp. Dale Weidman said officers scoured through hours of video, either taken from social media or submitted to police as evidence.

“From this video they were able to get a very good appreciation for who did what during this event and then focused on people who were the most heinous in their behaviour," Weidman said. "We didn't go after everyone."

He added that investigators decided not to pursue charges against minor offences, such as “stealing a can of pop,” but rather focused on more destructive behaviour.

“The people that destroyed the kiosk would be a good example of that,” he said.

Three of the young men charged are Vancouver residents, the rest are from other areas of B.C., including Prince George, Vancouver Island and the Okanagan.

Weidman wouldn’t clarify how many suspects were minors. He acknowledged that most of the young men made bad decisions the night of the riot, but said police believe “people should be held accountable for these bad decisions.”

No staff members were physically hurt the night of the riot, but Laura Ballane with the PNE said it was quite “upsetting.”

“We provided a lot of opportunities for staff to receive counselling if needed, to talk to their managers, to seek whatever they needed to feel comfortable again,” Ballance said, adding that the charges will help “close that chapter.”

Despite the extent of the damage, authorities said only a "small number" of concertgoers were involved in the rioting.