One of the organizers of “ReUnite,” an illicit desert festival in Mojave, California that allegedly masqueraded as a protest, has shared a GoFundMe page following reports of a fatality at the event.
Following the conclusion of the festival, which has been excoriated by a litany of news outlets and social media users due its purported disregard for the state’s social distancing ordinances, Rick Silver took to Facebook to call for donations to cover funeral costs for a deceased man.
It’s important to note that Silver does not unequivocally attribute the death in question to ReUnite. Silver revealed himself to be one of the organizers of the event in a June 16th Facebook post in which he also shared a dedicated fundraising page. “Im [sic] creating this event for you guys, I want good vibes and great friends coming together since we don’t have Burning man this year. LETS GO TO THE PLAYA,” he wrote before revealing the planned dates of August 21st to 24th, 2020.
ReUnite is not associated with Burning Man in any capacity. You can view a screenshot of the “ReUnite Burn 2020” event fundraising page, which ultimately amassed $965—less than 20% of the $5,000 goal—below.
Rick Silver via Facebook
While the attendee’s passing has been widely attributed to drug use, the cause of death is unconfirmed considering the fact that autopsy results have not yet been released. However, numerous sources pointed to an existing heart condition, which may have played a role.
According to a report by Grit Daily, there was no medic on site and the body was allegedly removed from the dance-floor before police constructed a barrier. Additional accounts circulated via social media, which referred to the ordeal as “disturbing,” indicate that CPR had been attempted, but to no avail.
At the time of this article’s publishing, the GoFundMe has raised $42,552, eclipsing its goal of $42,000.
