Rock band plans onstage suicide
An alternative rock band from Florida claims it'll feature a live suicide during a gig next month.
Tampa outfit Hell on Earth says a terminally ill member of a right-to-die group planned to commit suicide on stage during the gig on October 4.
Their website says the person's identity won't be released until the day of the gig at the State Theatre in St. Petersburg. The site didn't say how the person would commit suicide.
The band claims the "volunteer" wanted to die onstage to "raise awareness for dying with dignity".
Dave Hundley, one of the owners of the theatre, says he's aware of the plan and was trying to determine whether or not it was just a publicity stunt.
"If I have an inkling that this is for real, I need to worry about it," said Hundley.
He added the band played the venue a couple years ago and has been known to stage some strange stunts, such as chocolate-syrup wrestling and grinding up rats in a blender.
St. Petersburg police say it's an offence to assist a suicide, but added they need more information before deciding a response.
A spokesman said: "We've just begun looking at it and we're not quite sure where to go from here. Obviously, the St. Petersburg police does not condone public displays of suicide."
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