Officials are struggling to determine how a music festival in Houston became one of the deadliest concerts in U.S. history. Here’s what we know so far.
Astroworld claims its youngest victim yet
Nine-year-old Ezra Blount has become the 10th and youngest person to die after attending the disastrous Astroworld festival. He’d been put into a medically-induced coma in an attempt to overcome brain, liver and kidney trauma.
“The Blount family tonight is grieving the incomprehensible loss of their precious young son,” the family’s attorney, Benjamin Crump said in a statement.
“This should not have been the outcome of taking their son to a concert, what should have been a joyful celebration. Ezra’s death is absolutely heartbreaking. We are committed to seeking answers and justice for the Blount family. But tonight we stand in solidarity with the family, in grief, and in prayer.”
“When my son went to the concert, he had my grandson on his shoulder,” Erza’s grandfather Bernon Blount told CNN. “All the people pushed in and he could not breathe so he ended up passing out because of all the pressure that was being applied to his body. And when he passed out, Ezra fell off his shoulder and fell into the crowd.”
The fallout continues
The ninth victim to die from her “horrific injuries” following the disastrous Astroworld concert has been identified. Bharti Shahani, 22, died on the evening of November 10. Her father, Bhagu Shahani, said that all he wants is “to please make sure she gets justice.”
Organizers for the Day N Music Festival have announced that rapper Travis Scott will no longer perform at this weekend’s event in Las Vegas, following the disastrous Astroworld festival.
It may take weeks to determine the causes of death of concertgoers who died during the rush to the stage during Scott’s set last Friday. There’s reportedly a “lot of evidence” of drug use, but toxicology results are still pending.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said Saturday that during the concert, a security officer “was reaching out to restrain or grab a citizen and he felt a prick in his neck.” The officer passed out, but was revived after medical staff gave him Narcan, a drug used to treat narcotic overdoses.
Hip-hop star Drake, who joined Travis Scott onstage Friday, has commented publicly for the first time since the tragedy.
“My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering,” he said on Instagram late Monday. “I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can.”
What happened?
A crowd of 50,000 people began surging toward the stage Friday night during rapper Travis Scott’s performance at the Astroworld Festival. Concertgoers described being unable to escape the crush of bodies as they were knocked to the ground, trampled, and left gasping for air.
Eight people were killed and hundreds more were treated for injuries. At least 25 others were arrested on charges including trespassing and public intoxication, but it’s unclear whether these are connected to the incident itself.
“It was like hell,” a 17-year-old attendee told the New York Times. “Everybody was just in the back, trying to rush to the front.”
Scott, who is now facing a lawsuit over the incident, played through the chaos. The show was finally called off about 40 minutes after the “mass casualty event” started, city officials said. Day 2 of the festival, which was to feature Latin superstar Bad Bunny and Earth, Wind & Fire, was canceled.
“My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival,” Scott said in a statement. “I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need.”
What we know about the victims:
They ranged in age from 14 to 27, according to city officials, who have yet to release the victims’ names. John Hilgert, a ninth-grade baseball player, was identified by his Houston high school as the youngest person killed at the concert. Franco Patino, 21, a mechanical engineering student at the University of Dayton, was also among the victims, per the Washington Post.
What’s being investigated?
Officials are trying to pin down what caused the crowd to surge, what prevented people from escaping, and if drugs played a role.
“This is now a criminal investigation that’s going to involve our homicide division as well as narcotics, and we’re going to get down to the bottom of it,” Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said.
Investigators are also looking into reports that a security officer may have been drugged while trying to restrain a fan. Finner acknowledged rumors that have swirled about fans being injected with drugs, but urged people not to speculate about what could have led to the tragedy.
How do concerts turn deadly?
The most common cause of death in crowds is compressive asphyxia, when people are packed so tightly that their airways are constricted, Steve Adelman, who’s part of the advocacy group, Event Safety Alliance, told the New York Times.
Sadly, “crowd crush” has killed others at major music festivals. In 2010, 18 people were killed at a concert in Germany, and in 1979, 11 were killed at a Who concert in Cincinnati.
