Chaos at Madison Square Garden: Witness Hit by Falling Concertgoer Shares Chilling Account of Paul Kueker’s Fatal Leap
A horrified witness recounted in grisly detail to The Post on Tuesday how he was struck by tragic leaping MSG concertgoer Paul Kueker — and left “standing in blood.”
“His head was like a foot to the left of my shoes,” the traumatized man said of Kueker, a 51-year-old married dad of two from Connecticut who jumped to his death from a 150-foot-high balcony at the Manhattan venue during a Goose concert Saturday night, according to video.
“Within a few seconds, I was standing in blood,’’ the witness said.
Paul Kueker, 51, died after he plunged from MSG’s balcony section during a concert on Saturday.Facebook/Patti Hoxsie Finelli
“Wild,” said the man, who was struck on his leg. “That’s why I’m trying to figure out what hit me, and my friend was one seat further away and got hit by something, so I want to figure out what that was, too.”
Several other people also were hit by the falling man and suffered minor injuries, sources said.
Kueker “appeared intoxicated” and “under the influence’’ before he took the leap over the 4-foot-high glass barrier shortly before 10 p.m. the day before Father’s Day, law-enforcement sources have told The Post, quoting witnesses.
First responders are seen attending to Kueker after the horrifying incident.
He had taken his wife to the concert to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, which was Tuesday, kin have said.
Kueker’s spouse did not see her husband’s fall, which occurred three sections away from their seats, and just thought he was in the bathroom, said the dead man’s mother, Patricia Finelli, to the New York Daily News.
The damaged chair where Kueker fell inside Madison Square Garden.Obtained by NY Post
“He got up to go to the bathroom, and he didn’t come back,” Finelli said. “She was getting worried after 10 or 15 minutes. And he didn’t come back.”
Police eventually found Kueker’s wife, Kristen Lomme Kueker, at her seat and delivered the tragic news, according to the outlet.
Despite initial reports that the dad of two jumped from the Chase Bridge — an elevated seating section added to MSG in 2013 — sources said he leapt from the 300s sections of the east balcony.
The Post exclusively viewed video footage showing Kueker jumping head-first over the barrier, with the witness Tuesday describing hearing a sudden loud bang seconds later, followed by people screaming to get the man help.
The witness said Kueker jumped during intermission, when about 25 to 50 percent of people were in their seats.
Kueker took his wife to the concert to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, which was Tuesday.Facebook/Patti Hoxsie Finelli
Other video footage captured the chilling moments right after the horror when bystanders and emergency personnel huddled around Kueker, trying desperately to save his life, to no avail.
The city medical examiner’s office said an investigation into Kueker’s cause of death, including a toxicology report, is not complete.
Goose members said they were unaware of the tragedy till after their show ended around midnight.
The rockers said in a series of statements afterward that the Connecticut-based band was devastated by Kuerke’s death and called for a moment of silence during a follow-up show in Central Park on Sunday.
The band began selling a “Big Love” t-shirt online, saying all of the proceeds would go to a GoFundMe fundraiser set up by Kueker’s family.
The site had raised nearly $55,000 for the family as of Tuesday afternoon.
“He was a loving father, family man, and friend whose presence brought warmth and laughter wherever he went,” Kueker’s relatives wrote on the page. “He loved spending time with his family and cherished every moment he shared with people he loved.”
File image shows the 300s balcony section (top) and the area below where Kueker landed.NBAE via Getty Images
Kueker, a dad of two from Niantic, was director of operations for the energy management company Smartcon Solutions, according to his LinkedIn account.
“Paul meant the world to everyone at Smartcon,” said William Brown, general manager of Smartcon, in a statement.
“He was an extraordinary person and a valued member of our team, and the loss is felt deeply across our entire company. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. He will be profoundly missed.”