Man Drowns in Lake at SoFi Stadium Following Illenium Show

The LA County Medical Examiner has identified the man who drowned in the lake outside of SoFi Stadium during an Illenium show on February 2.

19-year-old Mirai Shepard had been swimming in the 6-acre lake during Illenium’s Trilogy: Los Angeles. SoFi Stadium security officers had reported that he was seen getting into the lake around 9:30 pm. After going underwater and not resurfacing, authorities and search and rescue teams had been called to the venue. 

Shepard’s body had been recovered from the lake shortly before 11 pm. After attempts to resuscitate Shepard, he had been pronounced deceased at the scene. The cause of death has been determined to be an accidental drowning by the medical examiner.

Shepard’s name was released following his identification the Monday following the Illenium show. It is unknown whether he was attending the show. The Inglewood Police Department and SoFi Stadium have both spoken about the death of the California resident.

“It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of an individual last evening. Our deepest condolences go out to the individual’s family and friends for their loss. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time,” SoFi Stadium said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. 

SoFi Stadium is a large sports and entertainment stadium in Los Angeles with a capacity of over 70,000. The artificial lake outside, known unofficially as Rivers Lake, is approximately 15 feet deep and holds around 11 million gallons of water. Shepard is the second person to have drowned outside of SoFi Stadium since it opened in 2020.

In July 2022, a 45-year-old man was recovered from the water after reportedly climbing the fence to the stadium grounds. No additional information on Mirai Shepard, the man who tragically drowned during the Illenium show, has been released. 

Madison Duncan

Hi! My name is Madison and I was born and raised in Colorado, giving me immediate access to some of the best live music. I have two degrees from the University of Denver in Media Studies and Criminology and am passionate about music journalism. Some of my favorite artists are, but not limited to, Disco Lines, Tape B, Space Laces, and Whyte Fang.

See author's posts