The dad-of-three crushed to death during a metal gig in Illinois has been described as an "amazing father" by his heartbroken loved ones and a "brother in Metal" by the band he went to see.
Fred Livingston Jr was sitting in one of the front rows of the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, Illinois on Friday when snapped timber that had once held up the roof pummeted to the ground as storms raged overhead.
Survivors recalled hearing the "fire alarms, wood, splitting, concrete cumbling and so many people screaming for their lives" as the roof came tumbling down.
While Fred tragically lost his life, another 28 attendees were injured, with five of them taken to hospital in critical condition. The extent of their injuries has not been updated since.
Heart-stopping footage of the scene showed rescuers desperately clambering to free their fellow fans trapped under the wrecked roof.
On a GoFundMe set up to help the family with the funeral costs, his relative Brittany Mills: "It is with great sorrow that we have to share the unexpected passing of Fred Livingston Jr.
"On March 31st, a tragic event at the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, Illinois led to the loss of a great man.
"Fred was an amazing man that leaves behind his three sons, Alex, Fred III, and Shane, along with the rest of his family that cared about him deeply.
"Our family still cannot comprehend this unexpected tragedy and we are asking for donations to help with the costs that come along with losing a family member. On behalf of our family, we greatly appreciate any support that can be offered to help get us through this tough time.
"We hope to update you soon on more details for services to honor the life of a son, brother, father and grandpa who will be truly missed."
The metal community also rallied to share their condolences for a "metal brother" killed while doing what he loved.
The tragedy happened while a supporting band played during a Morbid Angel headline gig.
The band also shared a statement with The Mirror about losing a "brother in Metal" during the tragedy.
Morbid Angel said: "On behalf of Morbid Angel, we want to first and foremost send our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the individual who tragically lost their life last night in the venue roof collapse due to heavy winds from a Tornado.
"We lost a brother in Metal last night, and many were hurt and injured in this tragedy. We would like to express how truly thankful we are for those in attendance (Fans, Venue Staff, Bands and Crew) that assisted with getting people out and to safety.
"We want to thank the First responders (Fire, EMT, Police) that were on the scene quickly and were able to help in getting people out of the venue and to hospitals for treatment as quickly as possible. Y
"YOU ARE TRUE HEROES! At this time our minds continue to remain with all those who were injured and hospitalized, as well as everyone who was effected by the storms in the surrounding area. We truly hope for a fast recovery of all who were injured."
"[...] With that said, our focus remains with the Victims of this terrible storm."
An eyewitness who would have been sitting close to Fred wrote on Facebook yesterday how she was an "inch from being killed".
She said: "I just watched the people I was having an amazing time with- die. People i was talking to - will never be speaking to their families ever again.
"[...]I am so so so lucky to be alive right now- i was an inch from being killed tonight. I did not think I was going to walk out of there alive."
As well as Illinois, the storms swept through a number of other small towns and big cities across the South and Midwest, killing a total of 26 people.
Confirmed or suspected tornadoes in at least eight states destroyed homes and businesses, splintered trees and laid waste to neighborhoods across a broad swath of the country. The dead included at least nine in one Tennessee county, four in the small town of Wynne, Arkansas, three in Sullivan, Indiana, and four in Illinois.
Other deaths from the storms that hit Friday night into Saturday were reported in Alabama and Mississippi, along with one near Little Rock, Arkansas, where city officials said more than 2,600 buildings were in a tornado's path.
Residents of Wynne, a community of about 8,000 people 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Memphis, Tennessee, woke Saturday to find the high school's roof shredded and its windows blown out. Huge trees lay on the ground, their stumps reduced to nubs. Broken walls, windows and roofs pocked homes and businesses.
Debris lay scattered inside the shells of homes and on lawns: clothing, insulation, toys, splintered furniture, a pickup truck with its windows shattered.
Ashley Macmillan said she, her husband and their children huddled with their dogs in a small bathroom as a tornado passed, "praying and saying goodbye to each other, because we thought we were dead." A falling tree seriously damaged their home, but they were unhurt.
"We could feel the house shaking, we could hear loud noises, dishes rattling. And then it just got calm," she said.
