Travis Scott is off the hook regarding 2021’s Astroworld Festival crowd rush tragedy — at least on criminal charges.
On Thursday, a grand jury in Houston declined to indict the star on criminal charges over the deaths of ten people who suffocated in a crowd surge during the rapper’s October 2021 show in his hometown.
Related: Taylor Swift Fan Compares ‘Unsafe’ Rainy Nashville Show To Travis Scott’s Astroworld
As you will recall, ten people died in the terrible tragedy at Houston’s NRG Park after a crowd of 50,000 surged forward towards the stage at Scott’s performance. Some of the stories coming out after that awful event were heartbreaking, and the families of those killed have had an unimaginable last two years following it.
However, as far as legal charges are concerned, the 32-year-old rapper will not be facing criminal prosecution in the matter with the grand jury declining to pursue an indictment against Scott on Thursday.
However, Scott and promoters Live Nation and ScoreMore still face billions of dollars in potential damages over hundreds of civil claims that have been filed since, per Variety. In those claims, plaintiffs allege Scott and the concert promoters are on the hook for civil damages on negligence, pain and suffering, personal injuries, and wrongful death.
As for the grand jury’s decision on Thursday, Scott’s attorney Kent Schaffer released a statement to Variety and other outlets:
“My client Travis Scott will not be charged with criminal charges or any wrongdoing for his involvement with AstroWorld festival. Today’s decision by the Harris County District Attorney confirms what we have known all along — that Travis Scott is not responsible for the AstroWorld tragedy.”
Schaffer went on:
“This is consistent with investigative reporting by numerous media outlets and federal and state government reports that have squarely placed the onus for event safety crises on organizers, operators and contractors — not performers. While waiting patiently for the District Attorney’s decision to not file charges, Travis Scott has been inaccurately and wrongly singled out, despite stopping the show three separate times and being unaware of the events as they were unfolding. 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.”
So there you have it.
Thoughts, Perezcious readers?
[Image via WENN/Avalon]
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