Concert Crowd Loots Store 24

Approximately 35 people waiting to be admitted to a 10:00 p.m. Harvard Square Theater concert last night ransacked and robbed the Store 24 while a predominantly black crowd of over 1000 clamored for admission to the theater.

The looters came into the store around 9:30 p.m. and began to dump merchandise onto the floor and throw it around the store, James L. Shiverdecker, manager of Store 24, said last night. Later they threw the cash register onto the floor and stole over $100, he added.

The theater's concert was a live appearance by Chaka Kahn. Over 1800 fans showed up for the first show at 7:00, said theater security guard David Cataldo, adding that people started lining up for the 10:00 show well before the theater doors opened at 9:30.

When the doors opened at 9:30, the crowd of over 1000 besieged the ticket office. "Somebody grabbed 50 tickets out of my hand and people started grabbing things in the office, so we closed the office for a while," said Lisa Ronchetti, who was on duty in the ticket office.

Four people were arrested, a Cambridge Police officer who refused to give his name said last night