Push Admin

Investigators pursue criminal probe into stampede that killed eight at Houston concert

Article (news)

Nathan Frandino and Joseph Ax, Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="People place flowers on a gate to NRG Park, after a deadly crush of fans during a performance the night before at the Astroworld Festival by rapper Travis Scott in Houston on November 6, 2021. Daniel Kramer, Reuters/file" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/11/09/20211108-texas-security-liability.jpg"/><figcaption>People place flowers on a gate to NRG Park, after a deadly crush of fans during a performance the night before at the Astroworld Festival by rapper Travis Scott in Houston on November 6, 2021. Daniel Kramer, Reuters/file</figcaption></figure></div>HOUSTON—Lawsuits and threats of legal action mounted on Monday on behalf of concertgoers crushed in a stampede that left eight dead at an outdoor rap music festival in Houston three days earlier, as investigators pursued a criminal probe into the tragedy.Travis Scott, the hometown hip-hop star who was performing on stage Friday night when the incident occurred, canceled a scheduled appearance this weekend at Day N Vegas in Las Vegas, a similar outdoor festival, a source close to Scott said.Scott announced on Monday he will cover all funeral costs and offer aid to those affected. He is also working with law enforcement and city officials to &quot;respectfully and appropriately connect&quot; with victims and their families, according to a statement.The victims were crushed in a surge of fans near the stage at NRG Park at around 9:30 p.m., with some unable to breathe and others trampled underfoot. Hundreds of others in the sellout crowd of 50,000 were injured.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/11/06/21/casualties-reported-in-crush-at-texas-music-festival">At least 8 dead and many injured in crush at Texas music festival</a></li></ul>Fans described a chaotic scene after a steady escalation of disruptive behavior throughout the day.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/11/07/21/investigations-widen-into-deadly-stampede-at-houston-rap-concert">Investigations widen into deadly stampede at Houston rap concert</a></li></ul>The eight victims ranged in age from 14 to 27 and included an avid high school baseball player, a high school band member who loved to dance and several college students from around the country.Though he paused the music multiple times after spotting fans who needed medical attention, Scott completed his set. The show continued for 37 minutes after officials declared a &quot;mass casualty event,&quot; according to a Houston Chronicle timeline.Scott released a short video late on Saturday, saying that while he was on stage, &quot;I could just never imagine the severity of the situation.&quot; He also posted a statement on Twitter saying he was &quot;devastated&quot; and would cooperate fully with authorities.<div>LAWSUITS</div>More than a half dozen lawsuits from victims and their families have already been filed against several defendants, including Scott and concert promoters Live Nation Entertainment Inc and ScoreMore.Neither Live Nation nor Scott or their representatives immediately responded to requests for comment.Houston-based attorney Anthony Buzbee told a news conference on Monday his firm planned to sue on behalf of Axel Acosta, 21, who died at the festival, and other victims in a case he said would seek to improve &quot;the way concerts are put on, organized, promoted and managed in the United States and around the world.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/02/05/18/kylie-jenner-announces-birth-of-baby-girl">Kylie Jenner announces birth of baby girl</a></li></ul>&quot;This concert was planned extremely poorly,&quot; Buzbee told reporters, saying that video footage of the event posted to social media before and during Saturday&#x27;s deadly crowd surge revealed scenes of &quot;pure and utter chaos.&quot;Buzbee said his firm was already representing 35 prospective plaintiffs, &quot;and that number is growing; our phone is ringing off the hook.&quot;He said his firm&#x27;s lawsuit would be filed in the days ahead, naming Scott, concert organizers, a private security firm and others as defendants. &quot;Neither Travis Scott nor his entourage ... cared enough about Axel to make even a minimal effort to keep him and others at the concert safe,&quot; Buzbee said.Basil Baig, whose brother, Danish, died at the festival, told reporters that Scott and the concert organizers &quot;should be held liable and accountable for everything. They have blood on their hands.&quot;Live Nation&#x27;s stock fell 5.4% on Monday.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/12/08/18/6-people-mostly-teenagers-killed-in-italy-nightclub-stampede">6 people, mostly teenagers, killed in Italy nightclub stampede</a></li></ul>The company said in a statement on Monday that it had met with authorities and handed over all video footage of the concert. Live Nation also said it had offered refunds to attendees and planned to provide mental health counseling and help pay for medical expenses for victims.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/10/03/16/52-dead-in-ethiopia-festival-stampede">52 dead in Ethiopia festival stampede</a></li></ul>Police have opened a criminal investigation into the incident. Officials said they would interview concertgoers and organizers, analyze video and review the safety procedures that were in place.Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the chief executive for the county that includes Houston, has called for an independent investigation.Roderick Payne, a crowd control expert whose firm provides security for large-scale events, told Reuters that authorities would review the security plan and determine whether mistakes were made.But he also said there are limits to how much security can do when dealing with such a large crowd.&quot;You can&#x27;t prevent 50,000 people from trampling anybody,&quot; he said. (Reporting by Nathan Frandino in Houston and Joseph Ax in Princeton, N.J. Additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles, Barbara Goldberg and Jonathan Stempel in New York, Brendan O&#x27;Brien in Chicago, Erwin Seba in Houston and Shivam Patel in Bengaluru Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Matthew Lewis)<div>FROM THE ARCHIVES</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1825257" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Travis Scott, who was performing on stage Friday night when the incident occurred, canceled an appearance this weekend at Day N Vegas in Las Vegas.

Investigators pursue criminal probe into stampede that killed eight at Houston concert

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Showbiz

Investigators pursue criminal probe into stampede that killed eight at Houston concert

Nathan Frandino and Joseph Ax,

Reuters

Published November 09, 2021 06:58 AM PHT

|

Updated November 10, 2021 03:18 AM PHT

Read More:

concert stampede

Travis Scott

Astroworld

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.