Rapper Travis Scott has publicly commented on the tragic deaths of concertgoers at his Astroworld Festival in Houston.
In the aftermath of last Friday’s unforeseen incident in which several people died at Astroworld Festival, Travis Scott has taken to social media to express his sadness.
“I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night,” a part of Travis’ statement (posted to Twitter in the early morning of November 7) reads. “Houston PD has my total support as they continue to look into the tragic loss of life”.
Most recently, Scott posted a black and white video to his Instagram page. In the one minute, 28-second clip, the SICKO MODE hitmaker can be seen rubbing his forehead as he extended upon his Twitter statement.
“I just want to send out prayers to the ones that were lost last night,” Scott said. “We’re actually working right now to identify the families so we can help assist them through this tough time.”
“You know my fans. My fans really mean the world to me, and I always just really want to leave them with a positive experience.”
“Any time I could make out anything that’s going on… you know I stop the show and, you know, help them get the help they need.”
The Astroworld Festival – attended by 50,000 people – overtook social media on the weekend as people blasted Scott and the concert’s organisers for creating an unsafe space.
CW: Extremely detailed and disturbing firsthand account of what happened at the Travis Scott concert/Astroworld in Houston where 8 people died and hundreds were injured. Including alleged negligence by concert staff. Credit: SeannaFaith, IG. pic.twitter.com/tc4F17gM36
— Jenn Dize 👩🏻💻Flint CORRUPTION | see pinned 🐦 (@jennelizabethj) November 6, 2021
Deadline reports that 23-year-old Kristian Paredes has filed a lawsuit against Scott, rapper Drake (who was also on stage at the time of the surge), the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation, and Live Nation Entertainment Inc. for negligence.
Paredes claims he was “severely injured” by the unruly crowd as Scott and Drake kept performing. He is asking for over a million dollars in compensation and for medical expenses.
It’s likely to be the first of many lawsuits filed against those who organised the festival.
People really think Travis Scott won’t be held liable, when he’s got a history of this at his shows and known for encouraging the behavior. #AstroWorld #Houston #TravisScott pic.twitter.com/LeSwHfCN0X
— Adam Morrison (@FranklyMuniz) November 6, 2021
According to 9News, Scott’s appearance caused a sudden surge towards the stage, with the security barriers pinning ticket holders in. People found themselves shoved so tightly together they couldn’t move, and in some cases, they couldn’t breathe.
“I just couldn’t breathe. I was being compressed,” concertgoer Gerardo Abad-Garcia said via 9News.
“[During the show] [e]veryone was passing out around you, and everyone was trying to help each other. But you just couldn’t move. You couldn’t do anything. You can’t even pick your arms up… it just got worse and worse,” Nick Johnson, an attendee at the concert, said.
Eight people (aged 14 to 27) lost their lives during Scott’s set. According to NPR, the cause of their “deaths has not yet been determined”.
Additionally, the New York Post says “at least 23 people were rushed to a hospital, including a 10 year old”. Eleven of those people were suffering from cardiac arrest. Approximately 300 people are believed to have been treated at an on-site “field hospital”.
As of now, authorities have opened an investigation into the concert, covering everything from the potentially unsafe design of the stage to alleged claims of drugs and “needle spiking” in the crowd.
