Friday night, eight people were reported to have died at the third annual Astroworld Festival. The event took place is Houston, Texas at NRG Park. At least 23 people were rushed to hospitals, while 300 others were treated at the scene.
According to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña, the climax of the incident began around 9:15 PM. The crowd of around 50,000 people began moving towards the front stage aggressively.
The crowd began to compress toward the front of the stage, and people began to panic
Samuel Peña, Houston Fire Chief
The main attraction at the time of the incident was Travis Scott. He is a popular rapper, singer, and record producer. Video shows Scott noting a man passed out during a song. He then tells people to stay away from the man while security moved in to help.
Cause of The Chaos
Early reports from individuals at the festival alleged a man was injecting other concert goers with an unknown drug. This is what some believe caused the attendees to go unconscious. Later statements by the Chief of Police, Troy Finner, confirmed this theory. At least one security guard at the event was attacked with a needle. He was stabbed in the neck by a syringe while trying to subdue a suspect. He later passed out and had to be given NARCAN, an anti-narcotic used to revive suspected overdose patients.
Some suspect the cause of the stampede, which is being reported to have led to eight deaths, was due to terrified attendees panicking over this unknown person injecting people. The exact cause of each of the 8 deaths is not yet known. Currently, autopsies are being performs to discover each reason. Finner confirms that some deaths were in fact due to trampling.
Earlier in the day, footage shows hundreds of people breaking through the barricades to Travis Scott’s venue, completely bypassing security check points and metal detectors. This new hole could have potentially caused the breach in security that could lead to the incident later that night.
The Show Went On
Reports state that after the Houston Police declared a “mass casualty” event at Astroworld, Travis Scott continued to play for almost 40 minutes. Police say Live Nation, the event promoters, agreed to end the event at 9:38. Attendees reported that Scott continued to play his set until he was finished at 10:15.
Some fans even pled with concert staff to end the show, but were ignored.
Shocking video shows officers performing first aid on an unconscious attendee, as the performance continues in the background.
Video also shows attendees preventing officers from reaching the injured, as they jumped on vehicles and blocked their way to the front of the stage.
The crowd was dispersed as clean up started. That was until police declared the area a crime scene. Piles of trash and filth were left where they were while police look for evidence. Among the dead is a 14 year old child, while many more individuals were injured in the stampede, including a boy as young as 10. He is currently alive but in critical condition. 11 people who were hospitalized were reported to be in cardiac arrest.
