Tragedy Strikes at Astroworld Music Festival

On November 5, 30-year-old rapper Travis Scott held his third annual music festival, Astroworld, in Houston, Texas. As a result of poor management, a reported 9 individuals were killed and hundreds more were injured from the crowd surge, in which the 50,000 attendees were tragically crushed and trampled. The sold-out show was an overwhelming match for understaffed security and medics, contributing to the numerous deaths.

By the time the show ended, a reported 25 concert-goers were taken to the hospital – the youngest, of which, was 10 years old.

John Hilgert, a 14-year-old attendee, was the youngest victim to lose his life at the concert after he was crushed to death by the stampede of fans. Hilgert was a freshman at  Memorial High School in Houston. Following the events, the school principal Lisa Weir noted the tragedy and confirmed that students will have counselors available to help them cope with the loss.

Despite nine victims being reported, only seven have been publicly identified.

The chaos  escalated until around 9 p.m., when Scott repeatedly pointed out suffering fans in the crowd but refused to stop his show. Those who attended reported chanting and begging for the performer to end the concert; however, Scott denies being aware of the incident.

“Anytime I can make out anything going on, I stop the show and help them get the help they need,” Scott later explained in a video apology. “I could never imagine the severity of the situation.”

On November 8, the event’s organizer reported that full refunds would be available for those who purchased tickets to the event.

Despite this, lawsuits have been filed following the deadly situation as it is evident that the majority of the concert-goers faced extreme trauma and terror.