A lawsuit was filed following the Astroworld Festival tragedy that left eight people dead and dozens injured in Houston on Friday night.
An injured concert goer is suing rapper and producer Travis Scott , who was the organizer of the Astroworld Festival, as well as entertainment company Live Nation, concert promoter Scoremore and others involved in the event, according to the lawsuit obtained. by Globe Live Media.
Manuel Souza, who is being represented by the Kherkher Garcia law firm, “suffered serious bodily injury when the uncontrolled crowd at the concert threw him to the ground and stomped on him,” according to the lawsuit filed in Harris County, Texas.
“The defendants did not properly plan or carry out the concert in a safe manner,” the lawsuit continues.
“Instead, they knowingly ignored the extreme risks of harm to concert-goers and, in some cases, actively encouraged and encouraged dangerous behavior. Their gross negligence caused serious injury to the plaintiff.”
The amount of the claim for Astroworld
A jury trial is preferred to determine the exact amount of damages, according to the lawsuit, but Souza is seeking “monetary compensation of more than $ 1,000,000.”
Globe Live Media has reached out to Scott, Live Nation and Scoremore for comment on the lawsuit.
“Heartbroken for those of us who lost and those affected at Astroworld last night,” Live Nation, the company responsible for organizing the Astroworld Festival, said in a statement. “We will continue to work to provide as much information and assistance as possible to local authorities as they investigate the situation.”
Live Nation is a concert promoter, venue operator, and owner of Ticketmaster. According to its website, it sells 500 million concert and festival tickets every year.
Chronology of events on the night of the tragedy
The sold-out Friday night crowd at the Astroworld Festival was so packed that when some audience members were pushed onto the stage, they told Globe Live Media, they were crushed to the point that they couldn’t breathe and passed out.
Concert goers described the event as traumatizing, with many witnesses saying they saw lifeless bodies trampled on amid the chaos. Those who survived had to fight their way through the crowd as the music continued.
Scott took the stage for his performance shortly after 9 p.m. Authorities said they learned of the waves of the public early in their presentation and received the first reports of injuries at approximately 9:30 p.m.
It’s unclear what Scott saw from the stage and if he was aware of crowd conditions at the time, but he continued to perform until approximately 10:10 p.m. That’s roughly 40 minutes after the first injury reports were reported to authorities and just over 30 minutes after they declared the concert a “multiple casualty event,” according to times given by Houston Fire Chief Samuel. Peña, at a press conference on Saturday morning.
Video from the live broadcast of the concert also showed Scott pausing his performance and watching in apparent confusion as an ambulance approached the crowd. He started performing again, but then stopped the concert.
What Travis Scott Said
Scott made his first statement on camera in a video posted to his Instagram account on Saturday night.
“Honestly, I’m devastated,” Scott said as he sighed repeatedly and rubbed his forehead. “In fact, we are working right now to identify the families and be able to help them through this difficult time.”
Some concert goers have criticized organizers for continuing the show even when non-responders were being given CPR and taken away, but Scott said he was unaware of the seriousness of things. “Every time I was able to realize, you know, whatever was happening, you know, I just stopped my show and, you know, helped them get the help they needed.”
The Houston Police Department tweeted Sunday that the investigation into the tragedy is active and “in its early stages.”
The lawsuit alleges, “Scott actively encourages his fans to ‘rage’ at his concerts. His express encouragement of violence has previously resulted in serious violence at numerous past concerts.”
He also quotes a tweet by Scott since deleted in response to fan complaints about the rapid ticket sales for this concert: “KEEPING THE WILD ONES !!!!!”
The strange behavior of Travis Scott during his concert in which eight people were killed by an avalanche
The Travis Scott concert at the Astroworld festival held in the city of Houston (Texas) in which eight people died and several dozen were injured by an avalanche of public has been one of the greatest tragedies suffered during a celebration of live music during the end times.
An event in which, as reported by the New York Times, the police expressed concern that the security device at the concert was insufficient .
A day marked by tragedy in which, in addition to the previous avalanche , there were injuries during the development of the concert of the rapper partner of Kilye Jenner.
While Scott was standing on a pulpit on stage, he detected that a person was having trouble in the front rows and had lost consciousness.
“We need help here, someone has lost consciousness. Don’t touch him, give him space and let security come quickly, please,” the rapper asked from the stage.
Once the security of the event managed to reach the person who had fainted, the rapper began to hum a “yeah” (an informal English word that would be equivalent to yes, in Spanish) while the person in need of help was taken out in flying.
A strange scene that has been criticized through social networks in a black day that is being the subject of a police investigation.
Travis Scott’s partner claims they were “not aware of any deaths” from the stampede at the Astroworld festival until after the concert
Kylie Jenner, the partner of rapper Travis Scott, said they both feel “devastated and devastated” by the tragedy that occurred at the Astroworld music festival this Friday, which resulted in eight deaths and more than 300 injuries .
“Travis and I are heartbroken and devastated . My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who was killed or injured or affected in any way by the events of yesterday. Also to Travis, as I know he cares deeply for his fans and the community of Houston, “he communicated this Sunday through a publication in his stories on Instagram.
Likewise, Jenner assured that neither she nor the rapper, who was harshly criticized for not stopping acting, but simply interrupting the concert several times when seeing the fans in distress, “were not aware of any deaths” until after the show, and that otherwise they would have stopped the performance immediately.
“I want to make it clear that we were not aware of any deaths until the news broke after the show and in no way would we have continued filming or acting . I send my deepest condolences to all the families during this difficult time and will continue to pray for their recovery. everyone who has been affected, “Jenner wrote.
For his part, Travis Scott himself spoke about the stampede that occurred during his performance at the festival, communicating that “he is absolutely devastated” by the tragic events and offered his full support to the Houston Police Department while the investigation continues.
What caused the tragedy at the Astroworld concert in which eight people died? Police investigate
Authorities want to watch videos, interview witnesses and review concert protocols to determine how eight people died at a Houston music festival when attendees suddenly took the stage to see rapper Travis Scott.
Texas city officials said Saturday they were in the early stages of the pandemonium investigation that unfolded Friday night at Astroworld, a two-day sold-out event at NRG Park with an estimated 50,000 attendance. people . One of the attendees recounted that when the timer marked the start of Scott’s performance, the crowd began to push forward.
“As soon as he went on stage, it was like an energy surged up and everything went crazy,” said Niaara Goods, one of the concert attendees. “Suddenly your ribs were being crushed. You had someone’s arm around your neck. You were trying to breathe, but you couldn’t.”
Goods said she was so desperate to get out that she bit a man on the shoulder to get him to move.
The dead were between 14 and 27 years old, and 13 people remained hospitalized Saturday , Mayor Sylvester Turner said. He said it was “a tragedy on many levels” and that it was too early to draw conclusions about what went wrong. Dozens of people were injured.
“It may well be that this tragedy is the result of unpredictable events, of circumstances that came together and that could not have been avoided,” said Judge Lina Hidalgo, Harris County’s top elected official . “But until we determine that, I will ask tough questions.”
Crowd death experts explain that they are often the result of density – too many people crammed into a small space. Crowds often rush away from a perceived threat or to something they want, like an artist, before hitting a barrier.
Scott, one of the biggest young stars in music, founded the Astroworld Festival in 2018 . The 29-year-old Houston native has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards. He has a 3-year-old daughter with Kylie Jenner, who announced in September that she is pregnant with their second child.