PITTSBURGH -- The production manager of the popular music group 'New Edition' was jailed Monday on suspicion of killing a member of security for a rival band in a dispute over time on stage, police said.
The simmering dispute between New Edition and the music group 'Guy' erupted Sunday with a scuffle among road crew members and culminated with the fatal shooting of Anthony Bee, 32, of New York, said Pittsburgh Police Cmdr.
Ronald Freeman. Bee was security manager for the music group Guy.
Ronald Byrd, 30, of Buffalo, N.Y., production manager for New Edition, was charged in the fatal shooting. Eyewitnesses told police Byrd chased Bee from the Civic Arena to the Pittsburgh Hyatt Hotel about 4:30 p.m., shooting him once in the back outside and once again at the hotel. Bee died at Mercy Hospital.
The bands were to perform Sunday with several other groups as part of the Budweiser Summerfest concert series. The show was postponed.
The dispute between the two bands first began in Greensboro, N.C., when the group Guy allegedly played past its time limit, police said. One member of Guy allegedly kicked or pushed some of New Edition's equipment as the group came on stage. Police say some members of Guy then made threats against New Edition.
Sunday's incident in Pittsburgh began when two Guy 'roadies' attacked a crew member of New Edition near the Civic Arena stage. Shortly after the scuffle, Bee was chased and shot, investigators said.
Four members of the band Guy were jailed on assault charges for allegedly beating a New Edition roadie, investigators said. They were: Michael Floyd, 20; Jean Griffith, 39; Ronald Thomas, 26; and Vincent Rosario, 24, all of New York.
