14 DAY TRIAL // A quarrel between two wedding parties in Philadelphia escalated until it reached full-fledged brawl status. One man died of a heart attack during the fight, while 3 others were arrested at the Sheraton Society Hill hotel, at around 2 a.m. on Sunday.
Police officers were forced to intervene with tasers and batons, ABC News reports. The violent clash started in the lobby at the Sheraton, with angry partygoers proceeding to take the fight outside the hotel.
A 57-year-old man sustained a heart attack on the street in front of the hotel. Although an ambulance was called, the man died the same night, in hospital care. He remains unnamed but is believed to be an uncle of one of the brides.
Hotel guests found themselves either unwittingly involved in the brawl, or witnesses to it, as many say were woken up by the cursing and the screaming.
"I just thought it was very sad, because it's supposed to be a special occasion and for something like that to happen, I just felt bad for the families," one guest said.
Another guest, by the name of Max Schultz, captured footage of the event and posted it on YouTube. He stated that 75 to 100 people were involved in the violent clash.
The fight apparently began with an argument between members of the same wedding party. As a second party arrived, friends and relatives of the bride and groom confronted members of the second wedding party. The original fight reportedly started at a hotel room. The video of the event even shows a wife joining in the quarrel as it became more and more violent.
Three people were arrested, and police are looking over the footage taken at the hotel, which is now considered evidence, to determine whether or not more participants at the wedding reception stand to face charges.
