Travis Scott Will Not Face Criminal Charges Over Astroworld Tragedy
Travis Scott will not face criminal charges over the 2021 Astroworld tragedy that resulted in the deaths of 10 people, the Harris County District Attorney announced June 29.
More than one year after the deadly crowd surge took place at the music festival in Houston, a Texas grand jury decided on the outcome after being presented with evidence by prosecutors June 29. The Harris County District Attorney said the grand jury issued six no-bills, meaning no criminal charges will be filed.
Ahead of the proceedings, an attorney for the rapper told Reuters that "nothing Travis did or failed to do fits within the Texas criminal code."
And after the ruling, the attorney, Kent Schaffer, said in a statement to E! News that the decision "confirms what we have known all along—that Travis Scott is not responsible for the Astroworld tragedy."
The lawyer added in part, "Now that this chapter is closed, we hope for the government efforts to focus on what is most important—stopping future heartbreaking tragedies like AstroWorld from ever occurring again."
In November 2021, 10 concertgoers—of which the youngest was 9-year-old Ezra Blount—died after the incident took place during the artist's concert in Houston's NRG Park.
During a press conference held at the time, authorities said that the crowd of about 50,000 people "began to compress towards the front of the stage" causing panic and injuries. "People began to fall out, become unconscious," officials stated, "and it created additional panic."
A Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences report obtained by E! News that December confirmed that the attendees died of compression asphyxia, with their manner of death listed as an accident. In addition to the fatalities, per NBC News, 2,400 people also needed medical treatment.
The "Sicko Mode" rapper, born Jacques Bermon Webster II, broke his silence one day after the tragedy, noting that he was "absolutely devastated."
"My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival," Scott said in a statement shared to Twitter at the time. "Houston PD has my total support as they continue to look into the tragic loss of life. I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need. Thank you to Houston PD, Fire Department and NRG Park for their immediate response and support. Love You All."
In the months that followed the incident, several lawsuits have been filed against the musician as well as Live Nation, Epic Records, Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation and several other businesses and event organizers.
In October 2022, a lawyer for one victim's family told NBC News that they reached a confidential agreement with the parties over the legal case. Though Scott issued a "general denial" of claims and asked for multiple suits to be dismissed in late 2021, other proceedings remain ongoing.
(E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
This story was updated on June 29, 2023 at 3:08 p.m. PT with a statement from the Harris County District Attorney.
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