Travis Scott, a rapper claims he will pay for funeral expenses of eight victims killed in a crowd surge at Astroworld Festival. He’s been hit by a series of lawsuits from survivors who claim he caused ‘extreme distress.
Many injury lawyers including Ben Crump (a civil rights attorney) claim that Scott, Live Nation, and others behind the festival did not provide adequate security to avoid the stampede, which resulted in the deaths of eight people.
Scott announced Monday that 11 additional lawsuits were filed against him. He pledged to pay all funeral expenses and will also be working with BetterHelp to provide free online counseling to concertgoers who have been affected by the terrible events at Astroworld. He also promises to refund all tickets.
But attendees and their lawyers, including Crump – who is representing Noah Gutierrez, 21 – said that the tragedy was ‘years in the making’ because of a history of injuries reported at Scott’s performances, including three hospitalizations at the same event in 2019.
The lawsuits also allege that Scott kept singing for more than 30 minutes despite numerous deaths, injuries and screams from fans for the show to stop.
Crump released a statement saying that they are receiving horrifying reports of terror and helplessness, horror from a large crowd, and the horrible trauma of seeing people die as we try to save them.
Travis Scott stated that he would pay the funeral expenses for eight people who were killed in a crowd surge during Friday’s Astroworld Festival, Houston.
A number of injury lawyers, including famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump, are claiming that Scott, Live Nation and other parties behind the festival failed to provide the necessary security measures to prevent the stampede
Crump shared a TikTok clip in which crowd members screamed for it to end.
He shared another video of a woman climbing a stage ladder and screaming to a stage hand that people were dying in the crowd
He set up a designated website for anyone else traumatized by the experience to reach out for legal assistance, which could be found at astroworldclaimshelp.com.
“We will seek justice for all the clients that were hurt in this terrible and preventable incident,” he said.
Crump, amid his lawsuits, tweeted a TikTok clip showing people screaming for the show’s stop. Another video shows Crump climbing up a ladder to shout to an audience member that there were many people dying.
One tweet said, “Crowd desperately shouting Stop the Show” and waving their arms in the air to try to end the Astroworld Festival!” Reach out immediately if you have any friends or family members who were affected by this horrible event.
Another said, “WOW. A young girl climbed a ladder to beg staff to stop the Astroworld fest & help attendees with what we now know were DOZENS of medical emergencies & deaths! This is a terrible tragedy that has left many people in pain.
Crump set up a designated website for anyone else traumatized by the experience to reach out for legal assistance
Scott announced also that he is partnering up with BetterHelp in order to provide free online one-on-one therapy for concertgoers
Sean Roberts from Houston filed seven lawsuits for different survivors on Monday. According to TMZ who obtained a copy, each claim that Scott and Live Nation did not provide sufficient security or a contingency program and conditions necessary to avoid the circumstances that lead to fatalities and injury.
Roberts claimed that all clients were’seriously & permanently injured.’ He is suing Roberts for negligence and seeking unspecified amounts in damages.
CNN reported that Ryan MacLeod was another attorney who is taking legal action on behalf of his client. MacLeod stated to CNN that there is physical pain but the client also suffers from emotional trauma, such as emotional scarring and silent pain.
His client, he said, was “trapped” in crowd. It felt like he was “drowning”, and as if he could not breathe.
He said, “Then he was tramped and there were a hero as many of these concertgoers turned to be, which was able he to lift him up and get him to safety.”
MacLeod listed casualties at Scott’s shows that date back to 2015. Scott was charged with misdemeanours after an egregious stampede at Lollapalooza, Chicago in 2015.
According to the lawyer, “This had been years in preparation.” Travis Scott’s promoters are well aware that Travis Scott has been indicted for inciting violence since at least 2015. He proudly states that there is no moshpit unless somebody’s being hurt.
The tragedy could have been prevented, according to lawyers. They also pointed out a history of injury reported during Scott’s shows.
According to the lawsuits, the concert continued despite the many injuries and deaths of the fans.
At around 2pm, hundreds of festival-goers stormed the VIP entry. Seven hours later, eight were killed by a crowd in front the main stage. The two incidents appear unrelated
Scott insists that he didn’t know about the tragedy until after he performed, but MacLeod says that it was better to stop the music sooner. According to him, “During the concert even though first responders try to help, he continued the concert. It is disgusting. It’s despicable. As humans, we are better than that.
MacLeod stated, “If your pulse is strong and you are alive as Travis Scott was on Saturday night, then you know you can control the mic and determine that you need to stop. Safety is being sacrificed in favor of profits… CPR was actually administered to Scott while he still sings… it cannot happen again.
Manuel Souza filed a lawsuit with Kherkher Garcia seeking $1,000,000 in monetary relief. He claims that he suffered serious injuries from the crowd’s uncontrolled chaos, which threw him to the ground.
Steve Kherkher was Souza’s lawyer. He stated that Souza and the defendants had failed to plan the concert properly or conduct it in a safe way. Instead they deliberately ignored the severe risks to concertgoers and in some cases encouraged or fomented unsafe behaviors.
Yesterday, a concert-goer claims he was left “severely hurt” by Drake and Scott. Scott is being sued for allegedly inciting the crowd.
Kristian Paredes (23), from Austin, Texas filed the DailyMail.com Sunday complaint accusing Live Nation, the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation and the rappers of negligence.
According to the complaint Drake appeared on stage with Travis Scott, and incited the crowd.
Drake is accused of continuing to perform alongside Scott “as the crowd got out of control” and “while the crowd mayhem continued.”
Paredes now seeks over $1million to pay for his bodily injury, which Paredes claims are permanent.
According to him, he experienced an “immediate push” as Travis Scott’s countdown ended. He entered the stage at 9:59pm.
According to the filing, ‘The crowd became chaotic’ and “a stampede started leaving 8 dead and many others including Kristian Paredes seriously injured.”
According to the report, many begged Live Nation Entertainment’s security guards for their help but were refused.
Houston beefed up the police force by adding more officers over the three months prior to Friday’s concert. Live Nation organized additional security.
The deaths of Friday were a result of footage that showed multiple instances where crowds stampeded towards Scott during previous performances at Lollapalooza Chicago 2015, and an Arkansas outdoor venue 2017.
Scott was found guilty of two misdemeanors. Scott was also criticised by a fan who suffered paralysis after falling from his balcony at a Scott concert.
Investigative teams are currently analyzing the designs of security barriers and the use of crowd control at this year’s festival in order to find out what caused the stampede which claimed the lives of eight and left hundreds of others injured.
To determine what caused the tragedy, investigators will use videotapes and witness interviews as well as a review on concert procedure records.
Investigators have been looking at the security precautions and other measures in order to find out if Scott was not the only one who caused the chaos.
Steven Adelman, the vice-president of Event Safety Alliance is an industry group that was founded after the Indiana State Fair’s 2011 stage collapse. Seven people were killed. According to Fox News interview, he said that Security was incapable of stopping people. That’s actually really ugly. It’s not clear what this means.
The news outlet said that officials will also examine the event’s security plan, as well as the various permits given to organizers, to see if these were properly maintained.
Many local officials were aware of the dangers the festival posed and Houston Police Chief Troy Finner recently revealed that he visited Travis Scott his trailer to discuss crowd control just hours before he took to the stage.
Finner knew Scott well and wanted to help his home community. He visited Scott in his trailer on Friday before the concert.
A source said that he had told Megastar that he was worried about “the energy in crowd,” according to The New York Times.
Houston increased the number of officers on the police force in advance of the concert. Live Nation hired private security.
On Friday, hundreds of people rushed through the security barrier to get into the venue before the festival even started.
Although the show was called off thirty minutes early, it took half an hour for the fire department to declare a “mass casualty incident”.
Fire Chief Samuel Peña said on Sunday that Scott and the organizers could have stepped in and paused the show.
The only one who is able to call for or get a tactical stop when things go wrong, and that’s the performer. They have that bully pulpit and they have a responsibility,’ Chief Peña told the NYT.
‘If somebody would have said, ‘Hey, shut this thing down and turn on the lights until this thing gets corrected’ — and that coming from the person with the mic — I think could have been very helpful.’
Scott and Live Nation refused to speak out on specifics, however they stated that they would cooperate with police investigations.
Scott promised to reimburse all Astroworld attendees that purchased tickets. Variety sources said that Scott was scheduled to perform at another festival on Saturday but that he has been told by his representatives to cancel because he’s ‘too upset to play’.
A headline performance by the rapper was planned for Day N Vegas Festival at Las Vegas Festival Grounds. This is an event with general admission that includes several artists and where fans scramble to be first on the platform.
Scott was to perform on the Frank Stage main stage from 10.45 pm. To 11.45 pm.
The police who investigated the grisly crush claim that a mad man infused at least one person during the chaos with opioids.
After hours of speculation about the Astroworld Fest disaster, Chief Finner announced the shocking statement at a Saturday press conference. Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner also revealed that the victims ranged in age from 14 to 27.
“One narrative was that an individual had been injecting others with drugs. Finner stated that a security agent was reported to Finner by the medical staff who treated Finner last night.
“He was reaching out to hold or grab an elderly citizen when he felt a pinch in the neck.
They administered Narcan to him after he became unconscious. His condition was stabilized and he was given Narcan.
Travis Scott (pictured with Drake at the festival) is being sued by an individual who says he was’severely hurt’ during Friday’s crowd.
Kristian Paredes was 23 years old and hails from Austin. DailyMail.com obtained the complaint. Travis Scott called Drake onstage for an unexpected appearance.
Troy Finner, the chief of police (who held a press conference Saturday), knows Scott well and feels that he was trying to help his community. Finner visited Scott in his trailer on Friday before the concert. According to The New York Times, he told Scott that he was worried about the energy of the crowd.
Fire Chief Samuel Peña (pictured at Saturday’s press conference) said that Scott and the organizers could have stepped in and paused the show. Performers are the ones who are able to call for and receive a tactical stoppage when there is a problem. They have that bully pulpit and they have a responsibility,’ Chief Peña said
The identity of the drug that was instilled into the security guard is unknown. However, Narcan is used for people who overdose on opioids including fentanyl.
At 9.15pm, the surge occurred and Chief Pena of Fire said that the “mass casualty event” was announced at 9:15pm. A little over an hour later at 10.10 pm, Live Nation, the concert producer, stopped the show.
Mayor Turner confirmed then that two of the eight victims who died were younger than 18, 21 years old, 23 years old and 23, while one victim was 27, with one remaining unknown.
He stated that total 25 persons were taken to hospital following the “tragic event” and that 13 people are still in hospital, five of them under 18.
Turner issued a statement Saturday, sending condolences and sympathies to the victims’ families. He also noted that all festival participants will be meeting to discuss how this could have happened.
He stated that this was an important event which took place in Harris County. “Today law enforcement will talk with concert promoters, witnesses, and examine videos from the festival and outside the venue.
Turner said, “I have requested a detailed briefing by all stakeholders, including Live Nation, Harris County, NRG Park, Police, Fire, Office of Emergency Management and other agencies, to explain how the event became out of control and led to several deaths and injuries.”
Mayor Turner indicated that the investigation continues with the police’s homicide and drug teams, and added that the local government was also in contact with representatives of Live Nation Worldwide as well as Live Nation Entertainment.
Turner stated that Turner would likely be involved for a long time in trying to figure out exactly what occurred.