TripZillaTravis Scott’s Astroworld music festival happened on 5 Nov 2021 around 9.30pm at NRG Park, Houston, Texas. You’ve probably seen the different headlines sharing one update after another by now. So here’s a rundown of the events of the Astroworld tragedy where eight people sadly lost their lives.
What happened during Travis Scott’s concert?
Image credit: wallpapercave
Around 50,000 people attended Travis Scott’s show that day; eight people from 14 to 27 years of age were killed, while 25 concertgoers were hospitalised, including a 10-year-old boy.
As to how the tragedy occurred, there are different witnesses who have shared the same story of being pushed from the back and feeling the crowd surge forward. According to Houston Police Department chief Troy Finner, “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.”
The trouble started when Travis Scott began his concert and the crowd suddenly pushed forward towards the stage. Due to the pushing and compressing of the crowd, the concertgoers found it hard to breathe. “The crowd for whatever reason began to push and surge towards the front of the stage, which caused the people in the front to be compressed — they were unable to escape that situation,” Houston fire chief Sam Peña told CNN.
What started it?
Right now, no one, not even authorities can pinpoint the specific trigger that led to the mob mentality of pushing and shoving from the back of the crowd. But Travis Scott’s concerts are known for their chaotic energy. For instance, in 2015, Scott pleaded guilty to charges of reckless conduct when he told his fans to climb over security barricades to reach the stage. Two years later, he was sued by a Manhattan fan who had become paralysed for being pushed from a third-storey balcony and dragged on stage.
Unfortunately, Travis Scott’s Astroworld concert was 10 times more dangerous than any of his previous shows, as there was an alleged stampede. Suffocated people collapsed, and some bodies were trampled on. Axel Acosta, 21 years old, was sadly one of those who died from suffocation and cardiac arrest. His family lawyer Tony Buzbee said in a statement, “The air was literally slowly squeezed out of him, sending his heart into cardiac arrest. When he collapsed, concertgoers trying to escape their own suffocation, caused by the crowd rush, trampled over his body like a piece of trash.” Atty. Buzbee will be filing a suit on behalf of the family and more concertgoers in the coming days.
There were alleged drugs involved in the concert
Image credit: wallpapercave
There’s an alleged story of someone in the crowd who was injecting others with drugs. In light of this, people are now speculating that it might have triggered the mob mentality of fans trying to escape the concert. It remains to be determined if this was a cause for the crowding. However, Police Department chief Troy Finner confirmed that they did receive a report from a security officer who felt a prick in his neck when he was reaching over to restrain a citizen.
The officer became unconscious when he was examined while medics gave him Narcan, something that’s administered to people suspected of undergoing an overdose. “He was revived and the medical staff did notice a prick that was similar to a prick that you would get if somebody is trying to inject [a person],” Finner stated.
To make things worse, the on-site medical staff weren’t nearly enough for all the tragic events that occurred at the same time. Madeline Eskins, an ICU nurse who attended the concert, claimed that there were maybe four medics there and one of them “did not even know how to check for a pulse.” There were only four of them doing CPR and “three to four people in cardiac arrest at one time and one AED machine,” Eskins said.
How Travis Scott reacted and what people are saying about him
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When all of these were taking place, Travis Scott continued with his concert. There are different reports and feedback regarding how he acted. Some concertgoers say that Scott paused the concert a few times to bring attention to injured people; there’s even a video of this on Twitter. But at the same time, there are multiple reports and videos on social media wherein Scott seemed to be either oblivious or cold to the chaos that was happening in front of him while people were shouting “Stop the show!”
Two days after the Astroworld tragedy, Scott took to Twitter to air his thoughts and grief.
Image credit: Travis Scott Official Twitter Page
Scott also released an Instagram story where he reached out to his fans and the families of those who died and were injured. He assured everyone that he was working with all the authorities involved to “try to get to the bottom of this.” You can watch the full video here.
Travis Scott’s representatives have also stated that Scott will pay for the funeral expenses of the eight victims who lost their lives during the tragedy. However, Scott is reportedly facing at least three lawsuits from concertgoers. Plus, netizens weren’t very happy with his public statements on Instagram and Twitter, saying that he was insincere and always encouraged rowdy behaviour that puts people’s lives at risk.
Image credit: yoongispick
Also read: 10 Incredible Music Festivals in Asia Worth Making the Trip For in 2020
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the Astroworld tragedy. We hope this event can teach celebrities and organisers to take extra precautions in terms of security and health considerations. As fans, let’s all be aware of our surroundings and be considerate of each other during concerts. What do you think about this incident?
