A fourth person has died in the aftermath of a fiery crash outside Kodak Theater early on New Year’s Day.
Authorities on Friday confirmed that 54-year-old Dawn Revette of Rochester had died from her injuries.
Revette died Wednesday. Two others, Justina Hughes, 28, of Geneva, and Joshua Orr, 29, of Webster, died earlier. As did Michael Avery, the 35-year-old Syracuse man who allegedly targeted theatergoers — driving a rented SUV filled with gas cans into the crowd, striking another car and bursting into flame.
Police Chief David Smith said local and federal authorities have found no evidence that Avery had any co-conspirators or extremist ties. And they have yet to uncover any motive for why he filled a rented SUV with gas cans and drove into a crowd of concert goers.
“None,” he said during a media briefing at the Public Safety Building. “Mr. Avery knows. So far we haven’t been able to find anyone else who does.”
Avery’s family has been cooperating with investigators, Smith said, but have told authorities they saw nothing suspicious in the preceding weeks.
Avery worked as a delivery driver and came to Rochester at least twice in December. He was seen on surveillance cameras loitering in the West Ridge Road area the night before the attack, according to police. He even bought a ticket to the theater’s New Year’s Eve concert by the band moe. but did not attend.
Mayor Malik Evans called Avery’s actions an assault on the city, and on innocent people.
"Although we are still asking questions as to why this individual decided to carry out this deadly attack, I think that we can say ... that he knew what he was doing," the mayor said. "This was planned, no question."
Evans said the way to move forward is "to keep the memories of Dawn, Justina and Josh alive. They were there on New Year's Day to bring in the New Year to celebrate in a time that was supposed to be happy,”
Of the others injured in the crash, only one remains in an inpatient care facility with non-life-threatening injuries. Police say all others have been released.
Police are asking that anyone who was outside Kodak Theater between 12:45 and 1 a.m. on New Year's Day to contact the city’s major crimes unit at (585) 428-7157 or email majorcrimes@cityofrochester.gov.
