A grand jury in Texas has determined that Travis Scott is not going to face costs following a lethal crowd surge at Astroworld Music Pageant.
The rapper launched the pageant alongside live performance promoters Dwell Nation in 2018, nevertheless, throughout a efficiency on November 5 2021, hundreds had been left injured when the over-capacity crowd surged in the direction of the entrance of the stage throughout Scott’s headline efficiency.
10 folks had been killed by compressive asphyxiation throughout the present — with victims aged between age 9 and 27.
On the time, Scott mentioned that the tragedy had left him “devastated” however didn’t realise fairly how extreme the occasions had been till he left the stage. Following the incident, hundreds of plaintiffs got here ahead, asking for what tallied to be billions of {dollars} in potential damages.
As per Rolling Stone, these coming ahead with claims have cited a number of allegations together with poor planning from pageant organisers and an absence of safety as contributing to the gang rush.
An investigation was launched by each federal officers and Houston police, to uncover whether or not Scott or Dwell Nation applied satisfactory security measures for the occasion.
Within the time following the incident, each Scott and Drake confronted backlash for persevering with their efficiency whereas the crush was taking place within the viewers. In accordance with BBC, there weren’t solely accounts of “lifeless our bodies being handed via the gang in full view of the stage”, however Houston’s fireplace chief additionally said that Scott ought to have halted the present a lot earlier.
Now, a grand jury in Texas has declined to cost the rapper for the occasions that unfolded. Scott’s lawyer Kent Schaffer mentioned that the choice has come as “a terrific aid” to his consumer (by way of BBC).
Schaffer confirmed in an announcement that the jury had met, however selected to not indict his consumer. He additionally denied any wrongdoing from the rapper. “He by no means inspired folks to do something that resulted in different folks being harm,” he mentioned. “Travis just isn’t accountable. Bringing prison costs towards him is not going to ease [the victim’s] ache.”
Lawsuits filed by a number of victims stay energetic in Texas state courts.
Final October, the household of 1 sufferer reached a settlement with the rapper and Dwell Nation, nevertheless, the phrases of the settlement weren’t disclosed.
In different Travis Scott information, again in Could, the rapper previewed his upcoming album ‘Utopia’ for Houston’s skilled baseball workforce, the Astros.
Each the discharge date for ‘Utopia’ and particulars on its tracklist have but to be introduced, nevertheless, the file has been teased by Scott since 2021. The album will likely be his fourth full-length LP, and comes 5 years after the discharge of ‘Astroworld’.