Local NewsWorld Travis Scott and Drake sued over deadly US festival crush by Barbados Today 08/11/2021 written by Barbados Today 08/11/2021 3 min read A+A- Reset Share FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail 347 SOURCE: BBC – US rapper Travis Scott is facing legal action after at least eight people were killed and hundreds injured in a crush at his Texas festival Astroworld. One injured concert goer has accused Scott and surprise performer Drake of inciting the crowd, and is seeking $1m (£741,000) in damages. Neither have commented on the lawsuit. In a statement following the crush, Scott said he was working to help the families of the victims – the youngest of whom was just 14. Meanwhile, tributes have been paid on social media to those killed. “Dancing was her passion and now she is dancing her way to heaven’s pearly gates,” the family of 16-year-old Brianna Rodriguez said in a statement. The surge began at about 21:15 local time on Friday (02:15 GMT Saturday), when panic broke out as the crowd pressed towards the front of the stage during Scott’s headline set. The number of casualties quickly overwhelmed the on-site first aiders, officials said. Some 300 people were treated for injuries such as cuts and bruises. Police in the Texas city of Houston have launched an investigation, including looking into separate reports that somebody in the audience was injecting people with drugs. Several concert goers had to be revived with anti-drug overdose medicine, including a security officer who police said appeared to have an injection mark in his neck. One suit filed by 23-year-old attendee Kristian Paredes accuses Scott and Drake of inciting “a riot and violence”, and claims the venue and entertainment company Live Nation failed to provide adequate security and medical services. The suit, seeking $1m in damages, says Mr Paredes “felt an immediate push” at the front of the general admission section, before “the crowd became chaotic and a stampede began”. “Many begged security guards hired by Live Nation Entertainment for help, but were ignored,” it adds. Mr Paredes is described as having suffered “severe bodily injuries”. Scott, Live Nation and concert promoter Scoremore are also named in another suit seeking $1m in damages for Manuel Souza. Mr Souza is described as having suffered “serious bodily injuries when the uncontrolled crowd at the concert knocked him to the ground and trampled him”. Live Nation has not yet commented on the lawsuits but has said it is “working to provide as much information and assistance as possible to the local authorities as they investigate”. The BBC has contacted the company for comment. High-profile US lawyer Ben Crump announced on Sunday that he was also representing concert goers in legal action following the crush. He filed a lawsuit on behalf of 21-year-old Noah Gutierrez and said he expected to file more for other alleged victims in the coming days. “We will be pursuing justice for all our clients who were harmed in this tragic and preventable event,” Mr Crump said. It is not the first time that Scott has faced legal action over a concert. In 2018, he pleaded guilty to a public disorder charge after he was accused of encouraging people to rush the stage at a concert in the US state of Arkansas. According to a local newspaper, he also paid nearly $7,000 (£5,186) to two people who said they were injured at the event. In his first statement after the crush on Friday, Scott said he was “committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need”. He later posted a video on Instagram encouraging anyone with information about the incident to contact the authorities. Barbados Today Stay informed and engaged with our digital news platform. The leading online multimedia news resource in Barbados for news you can trust. You may also like Thousands line streets of Rome as Pope Francis laid to rest after... 26/04/2025 Legends of Reggae: Strong performances set the tone for festival weekend 26/04/2025 Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain’s Prince Andrew in Epstein sex trafficking scandal,... 26/04/2025
