TRAGEDY IN HOUSTON (UPDATE)
UPDATE: In a press conference Saturday, Houston officials updated the status of victims of the Astroworld incident and promised a thorough investigation.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner clarified that 528 Houston PD officers were on duty at the event, along with 755 private security personnel employed by Live Nation. He also revealed the ages of the eight deceased: 14, 16, two victims aged 21, two aged 23, 27 and one unknown. Turner further reported the involvement in the investigation of Live Nation, Travis Scott and his team and attendees who'd been hospitalized.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, who said that Live Nation is submitting video to authorities, confirmed rumors of someone in the crowd injecting concertgoers with an unknown substance. A security guard felt a pinprick in the neck, became unconscious and was revived with Narcan. The city/county's Homicide and Narcotics divisions will be working the case.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo called for an objective, independent investigation. She also noted the festival's history of issues with crowd control and an increase in staff after previous iterations of Astroworld Fest.
Scott will provide full refunds for all Astroworld attendees, according to a report in Variety. They also report that Scott has canceled his appearance at the Day N Vegas Festival on 11/13.
WATCH LIVE: Officials with the Houston Police and Fire Departments hold a press conference on the deadly incident at the Astroworld Music Festival https://t.co/NL7MDwLTe5
— News 4 San Antonio (@News4SA) November 6, 2021
FROM SATURDAY MORNING:
Eight people are dead and dozens injured after a rush at the Travis Scott Astroworld show.
Despite heavy security, a crowd surge resulted in mass casualties; the dead, according to reports, ranged in age from 16-23.
The sold-out show at Houston's NRG Park (part of the stadium complex that houses the Astrodome) was tense from the outset, with a constant push toward the stage. The deadly surge occurred around 9pm CT.
A "reunification center" was set up for families of the victims at a hotel near the venue.
A tweet from Scott appears below; in his message, the rapper says he's "absolutely devastated" by what happened, adding, "I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need." He also expressed his gratitude to first responders.
An Instagram post from the fest, seen below, conveyed sorrow and condolences and announced that, unsurprisingly, the festival would not continue on 11/6.
"RIP to the 8" is now trending on Twitter.
It goes without saying that our sympathies, as well, go out to everyone affected by this disaster.
More information can be found here. Stay tuned for updates.
