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Texas grand jury considers charges against Travis Scott over festival crush
Texas grand jury declines to indict Travis Scott over deadly festival crush
(about 2 hours later)
Rapper, promoter Live Nation and others could face criminal charges after 10 killed and thousands injured at Astroworld in 2021
Rapper, promoter Live Nation and others had been investigated after 10 died and thousands were injured at Astroworld in 2021
A Texas grand jury was meeting on Thursday to weigh possible criminal charges against the rapper Travis Scott and others over a 2021 crowd crush at a music festival that left 10 dead and injured thousands, Scott’s lawyer confirmed.
A Texas grand jury has declined to indict the rapper Travis Scott in a criminal investigation into a massive crowd surge that killed 10 people at the 2021 Astroworld music festival in Houston, his attorney said on Thursday.
The attorney Kent Schaffer said it was unclear whether the Houston grand jury would hand down a decision on Thursday. The criminal investigation includes Scott and several others involved in planning his Astroworld Festival in November 2021.
Lawyer Kent Schaffer confirmed that the grand jury had met and decided not to indict his client on any criminal charges stemming from the concert. Schaffer said he was not sure what charges the grand jury had considered.
“Nothing Travis did or failed to do fits within the Texas criminal code,” Schaffer told Reuters.
“He never encouraged people to do anything that resulted in other people being hurt,” Schaffer said, adding that the decision was “a great relief”.
The Harris county district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday.
Houston police and federal officials have been investigating whether Scott, concert promoter Live Nation and others had sufficient safety measures in place.
Prosecutors will present evidence to grand jurors and ask them whether there is probable cause to support criminal charges. The proceeding does not necessarily mean any charges will be filed.
Schaffer said he feels sympathy for those who were killed at the festival and their families. “But Travis is not responsible,” Schaffer said. “Bringing criminal charges against him will not ease their pain.”
The investigation stems from a deadly surge of fans at Astroworld in Houston, where thousands were injured when the over-capacity crowd pressed forward as Scott took the stage. Ten people were killed by compressive asphyxiation, including a 10-year-old boy.
The tragedy unleashed a wave of litigation against Scott and the festival’s organizers, including the entertainment giant Live Nation (LYV.N), which merged with Ticketmaster in 2010.
The plaintiffs allege Scott, Live Nation and more than two dozen other defendants let too many people into the venue despite knowing the risks because they wanted the concert to appear packed.
At least 4,900 fans were injured, according to lawyers representing victims in lawsuits against Scott and the organizers.
The cases have been consolidated in Texas state court in a process known as multidistrict litigation, which streamlines adjudication of similar lawsuits.
The family of one of the people killed settled on undisclosed terms with Scott, Live Nation and others in October 2022.
Other lawsuits remain pending, including a case brought by the family of the 10-year-old boy who was killed.
The attorney Robert Hilliard, who represents that family, said in a statement on Thursday that “both criminal and civil accountability are critical to ensure that those responsible for the loss of innocent lives understand the permanent devastation they caused these families”.
