The latest on the deadly Astroworld crowd surge

Travis Scott performs at the Astroworld Music Festival on November 5 in Houston.

At least eight people were killed and many others injured after a crowd surged forward while rapper Travis Scott was on stage at the Astroworld Festival in Houston on Friday night.

The incident occurred when the crowd surged toward the stage, crushing those at the front who were unable to escape, local fire chief Sam Peña told CNN Saturday morning. That sparked panic, and the situation worsened and overwhelmed security personnel there, he said.

Scott is a 30-year-old US rapper, singer and record producer from Houston, Texas. He is best known for his 2018 album “Astroworld” – which the festival is named after.

Scott had previously been charged in connection with crowd mayhem:

On May 14, 2017, the Rogers Police Department in Arkansas posted on Facebook:

In 2018, Scott pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and the other charges were dismissed, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. 

CNN has reached out to the attorney who represented Scott in the case for more information.

Eric Daniels, who attended Astroworld with his son on Friday, gave a detailed account of the “pure chaos” he watched unfold in the crowds below him, saying he believes he witnessed a number of deaths that night.

Daniels said he and his son were enjoying the concert on a platform, elevated about six feet above general admission, when they witnessed the first unconscious person in the crowd below about 15 minutes after the music began.

“We saw four, five limp bodies… my son and I both witnessed three or four people being administered CPR,” said Daniels.

Despite the chaos in the crowd and repeated chants of “stop the show,” Daniels said the music continued, creating a strange soundtrack to the tragedy which killed at least eight people and injured dozens more Friday evening.

“It was… heartbreaking and tragic for everyone in that area,” he said. “…You could see the fear in their eyes because they wanted to escape from that situation.”

Read more about how the night unfolded here.

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Piña said Travis Scott had a responsibility for the safety of the crowd at his Astroworld Festival, and that he believes if Scott had ended his performance sooner, it may have calmed the crowd.

“If the lights would have been turned on – [if] the promoter or artist called for that – it would have chilled the crowd, and who knows? Who knows what the outcome would have been? But everybody in that venue, starting from the artist on down, has a responsibility for public safety,” Piña told CNN’s Jake Tapper Monday.

Police are in the early stages of a criminal investigation after a crowd surge at a Houston music festival on Friday left eight people dead and scores more injured, with at least two fighting for their lives in critical condition. The dead ranged in age from 14 to 27.

The Fire chief told CNN that the Houston Fire Department had proactively prepositioned units at the event based on their experience with other large events including the 2019 Astroworld Festival. 

Concertgoers described the event as traumatizing, with many witnesses saying they saw lifeless bodies being trampled amidst the chaos. Those who survived had to fight their way out of the crowd as the music raged on.

Read more about how events unfolded that night here.

Candles are lit at a makeshift memorial on November 7 at the NRG Park grounds in Houston.

It could take up to several weeks before we know the cause of death for the eight people who died at Houston’s Astroworld Festival, says Michele Arnold, a spokesperson for the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office. 

On Monday, the medical examiner’s office released the names of the eight victims who died at the concert but did not include the causes of death. 

The families of the victims have been notified, the release showed. 

Some background: Police are in the early stages of a criminal investigation after a crowd surge at a Houston music festival on Friday left eight people dead and scores more injured, with at least two fighting for their lives in critical condition. The dead ranged in age from 14 to 27.

Concertgoers described the event as traumatizing, with many witnesses saying they saw lifeless bodies being trampled amidst the chaos. Those who survived had to fight their way out of the crowd as the music raged on.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner met with rapper Travis Scott “for a few moments last Friday prior to the main event,” a tweet says. 

Finner said he “expressed my concerns regarding public safety” adding that “in my 31 years of law enforcement experience I have never seen a time with more challenges facing citizens of all ages, to include a global pandemic and social tension throughout the nation.”

Finner said Scott’s head of security was also at the meeting. 

“The meeting was brief and respectful,” the tweet said. 

The chief said the investigation continues. He is asking the community “to be considerate of the grieving families” and to “lift them up in prayer.” 

Entertainment company Live Nation said the Astroworld Festival team has been working with authorities over the weekend, according to a statement released on Twitter on Monday.

The statement goes on to say that staff has met with local authorities and that they have provided them with CCTV video, adding that all loadout work on the site has been paused to allow for investigators to “walk and document the grounds,” and that refunds will be given to all those who purchased tickets, which CNN previously reported.  

Live Nation also said in the statement that they are “working on ways to support attendees, the families of victims, and staff” by providing mental health counseling and will help with hospital costs.  

“Our entire team is mourning alongside the community,” the statement said.  

Traffic passes by a sign announcing the cancellation of Astroworld on Saturday, November 6, in Houston.

A detailed operations plan for the Astroworld music festival in Houston did not include a specific contingency for a surging crowd incident despite three people being trampled and hospitalized at the same festival in 2019.

In a 56-page document obtained by CNN, concert organizers addressed broad concerns about the sold-out, two-day event headlined by rapper Travis Scott.

“Based on the site’s layout and numerous past experiences, a Security Plan has been established to help mitigate potential negative issues within the scope of the festival,” the document states. “The potential for multiple alcohol/drug related incidents, possible evacuation needs, and the ever-present threat of a mass casualty situation are identified as key concerns.”

Among the scenarios addressed in the plan are incidents involving an active shooter, severe weather, and a possible riot or civil unrest.

Addressing concerns of a large crowd, the plan outlines “the key in properly dealing with this type of scenario is proper management of the crowd from the minute the doors open.” And adds, “Crowd management techniques will be employed to identify potentially dangerous crowd behavior in its early stages in an effort to prevent a civil disturbance/riot.” Those techniques are not further specified in the plan.

In November 2019, three people were trampled and hospitalized as thousands rushed to get into the Astroworld Festival. They were all sent to the hospital with leg injuries, and the event continued as planned.

In another section, the plan details actions to be taken in case of an incident involving fatalities. According to the plan, concert organizers advise staff to notify Event Control using the code “smurf” for a suspected deceased victim. “Never use the term ‘dead’ or ‘deceased’ over the radio,” the plan states.

Furthermore, the plan lays out a clear chain of command in case of an incident, identifying the role of the executive producer as well as the festival director as the only individuals with the authority to stop the concert. 

Washington resident Axel Acosta is among the eight people who died at the Astroworld Festival on Friday night, according to his family and university.

Acosta is from Tieton, Washington, and just turned 21 in October, his brother Joel Acosta told CNN. 

He was a junior at Western Washington University and had an interest in computer science, the university said. 

According to Acosta’s brother, they last heard from him around 5 p.m. on Friday.  

On Saturday, the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office released a photo of Acosta and asked the public for help identifying the body. 

He was at the event alone, his aunt Cynthia Acosta told CNN affiliate KTRK.

Travis Scott performs at the Astroworld Music Festival, on Friday, November 5, in Houston.

Travis Scott will cover all funeral costs for the eight victims who died at his Astroworld Festival on Friday, according to a statement released Monday by a representative for the rapper. 

The Houston-born artist will also partner with BetterHelp to provide free mental health services to all those affected by the tragedy, the statement said.

Organizers of Astroworld will provide a full refund to all ticket holders – both those who attended Friday and those who held tickets for Saturday’s canceled events, a source close to the situation told CNN Monday.  

CNN has reached out to festival promoter Live Nation for information about the refund process.

Variety was first to report on the refunds. 

Kylie Jenner attends the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, California, in 2020.

Kylie Jenner took to social media Sunday to comment on the tragedy at her partner Travis Scott’s Astroworld music festival in Houston.

At least eight people died and 300 more were left injured after a crowd surge during Scott’s performance at the festival on Friday.

Jenner said both she and Scott didn’t know what was happening in the crowd at the time.

“I want to make it clear we weren’t aware of any fatalities until the news came out after the show and in no world would have continued filming or performing,” she wrote.

She added that she was praying for the families who lost loved ones.

“I am sending my deepest condolences to all the families during this difficult time and will be praying for the healing of everyone who has been impacted,” she wrote.

Scott had also addressed the tragedy on social media over the weekend, writing, “I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival.”

Jenner and Scott are currently expecting their second child together.

An attorney suing Travis Scott on behalf of a concertgoer said his client is dealing with extreme distress on multiple fronts.

“There’s the physical pain,” attorney Ryan MacLeod said, adding “but even kind of greater… is the emotional trauma from this, the emotional scarring, that sort of silent pain… he felt being trapped, he felt like he was drowning, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Then, he was trampled and there was a hero, as many of these concertgoers turned out to be, who was able to lift him and get him out to safety.”

As eight people died at the Astroworld event, MacLeod maintains that Scott — who headlined the show — should have foreseen the tragedy.

It’s unclear what Scott could see from the stage, or how aware of the situation he was. MacLeod, however, insists the music should have stopped instantly.

“During the concert, even when first responders are trying to respond, he continues the concert. It’s disgusting. It’s despicable. We’re better than this as humans,” he said.

“If you have a pulse and you’re alive, as Travis Scott was that night, and you’ve got the microphone in your hand and you’re in charge and you identify that there’s a life and death… and you don’t stop?” MacLeod asked.

“You are putting profits over safety… CPR was literally being administered while he’s still singing… that cannot ever happen again.”

Live Nation Houston announced on Monday it would delay tickets sales “until further notice” for Billy Joel’s concert scheduled for Sept. 23, 2022 in a tweet on their official account. 

Ticket sales were originally scheduled to begin this Friday at 10 a.m. ET.

Jacob Jurinek, Franco Patino and Danish Baig.

Here’s what we know about the eight people who died at the Astroworld Festival in Houston on Friday night:

John Hilgert, 14

John was a freshman at Memorial High School in Houston, Spring Branch Independent School District spokesperson Terry Abbott told CNN.

Memorial High School Principal Lisa Weir sent a letter Saturday to parents at the school, informing them of the death.

Brianna Rodriguez, 16

Brianna was a junior at Heights High School in Houston, according to a verified GoFundMe account established by her family.

Franco Patino, 21

Patino, a senior at the University of Dayton, was studying mechanical engineering technology and human movement biomechanics, according to a statement from the university.

He was a member of Alpha Psi Lambda, a Hispanic-interest fraternity, the statement said, and was originally from Naperville, Illinois.

Danish Baig, 27

Baig, from Euless, Texas, died trying to save his fiancée, who was getting stomped on and hit in the crowd surge at the concert, his brother Basil Baig told CNN Sunday.

His family said he was an amazing person who loved with all his heart.

Basil Baig said his brother’s fiancée survived but is bruised all over her body and is traumatized.

Jacob Jurinek, 20

Jurinek was a junior studying journalism at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, the school said.

Rodolfo Peña, 23 

Peña lived in Laredo, Texas and studied at Laredo College, according to his Facebook page. 

His older brother Guadalupe Peña set up a verified GoFundMe account for funeral expenses.

Peña was 23, according to CNN affiliate KTRK, which spoke with his sister.

Unknown victim, early 20s

The identity of one of the victims who previously had been unknown by authorities has been determined, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner told CNN Sunday.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences released a statement Sunday asking for assistance in identifying a man in his early 20s with “short black or dark brown wavy hair” and “a slight mustache with a noticeable goatee.”

“That person has been identified, and contact has been made with his family,” Turner said.

CNN’s Keith Allen, Rosa Flores, Andy Rose, Caroll Alvarado and Melissa Alonso contributed to this report. 

At least eight people were killed and dozens injured in the ensuing crush that, according to people at the concert, apparently overwhelmed event staff and medical personnel at NRG Park. The dead ranged in age from 14 to 27.

Concertgoers described the event as traumatizing, with many witnesses saying they saw lifeless bodies being trampled amidst the chaos. Those who survived had to fight their way out of the crowd as the music raged on.

Here’s what they told us:

“The crowd became tighter and tighter, and at that point it was hard to breathe. When Travis came out performing his first song, I witnessed people passing out next to me,” TK Tellez, 20, told CNN.

People around Tellez began to fall, he said, at some point causing him to fall as well. People packed on top of him, some losing consciousness.

“Everybody was crying; it was the scariest sound I’ve ever heard,” Tellez said. “Imagine listening to Travis Scott and people screaming for their lives at the same time.”

Despite his attempts and other bystanders’ efforts to administer CPR to those who weren’t breathing, “there was just not enough people to help everyone,” he said.

“Travis Scott would have a short time in between songs, and we would scream our vocal chords out so someone could hear us but nobody did,” Tellez said. “This year’s festival will be stuck with me forever. I’ve never seen someone die in front of my eyes. It was horrific.”

“Kids were dropping left and right”

Billy Nasser described the crowd surge that killed eight people Friday night as a “death trap.”

Nasser said he was one of the concertgoers who tried to help people who were getting stomped on as they were “fighting for their lives.”

“Kids were dropping left and right,” he said.

Nasser, who works as a DJ, said he just wanted the music to stop as people continued to party without “paying attention to the bodies dropping behind them.”

Despite yelling at the camera and light technicians and asking them to alert Scott to stop the festival, Nasser said there wasn’t enough staff on hand to handle the situation.

“There wasn’t enough security guards and there wasn’t enough EMTs and people helping out the crowd. The paramedics couldn’t even reach the crowd,” he said.

Read the full article here.

The Astroworld Festival site on Friday, November 5.

Six people who were injured at the Astroworld Festival over the weekend are still in the hospital, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña confirmed to CNN.

Five of those remain in intensive care.

What we know: A crowd surge at the Houston music festival on Friday crushed concertgoers as they were left trampled and gasping for air, struggling to survive against a wall of people pressing forward toward the stage.

Police are investigating the potential causes of the surge, which occurred at the festival at NRG Park and led to the deaths of eight people as well as many more injured. 

An ambulance is seen in the crowd during the Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas, on November 5.

The Friday night crowd at the sold-out Astroworld Festival was so tightly packed that when audience members were pushed toward the stage, some told CNN, they were crushed to the point that they couldn’t breathe and passed out.

Concertgoers described the event as traumatizing, with many witnesses saying they saw lifeless bodies being trampled amid the chaos. Those who survived had to fight their way out of the crowd as the music continued.

Travis Scott took the stage for his set shortly after 9 p.m. Officials said they were made aware of crowd surges early in his set, and received the first reports of injuries at approximately 9:30 p.m.

It is unclear what Scott saw from the stage and whether he was aware of the crowd conditions at the time, but he continued to perform until approximately 10:10 p.m.

That is about 40 minutes after the first reports of injuries were made to officials and just over 30 minutes after officials declared the concert a “mass casualty event,” according to times given by Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña at a news conference Saturday morning.

Video from the concert’s livestream also showed Scott pausing his performance and looking on in apparent confusion as an ambulance pulled into the crowd. He began performing against, but later stopped the concert.

Scott gave his first on-camera statement in a video posted to his Instagram account Saturday night.

“I’m honestly just devastated,” Scott said as he repeatedly sighed and rubbed his forehead. “We’re actually working right now to identify the families so we can help assist them through this tough time.”

Some concertgoers have criticized organizers for continuing the show even as unresponsive people were being given CPR and carried away, but Scott indicated he was not aware of how severe things had gotten. “Any time I could make out, you know, anything that’s going on, you know, I just stopped my show and, you know, helped them get the help they need.”

The Houston Police Department tweeted Sunday the investigation into the tragedy is active and “in its early stages.”

It also cites a since-deleted tweet from Scott in response to fan complaints about this concert’s quick sell-out: “WE STILL SNEAKING THE WILD ONES IN. !!!!!”

See a more detailed timeline here.

Travis Scott performs at the Astroworld Music Festival on November 5, in Houston, Texas.

A lawsuit has been filed following the Astroworld Festival tragedy that left eight people dead and dozens injured in Houston on Friday night.

A concertgoer who was injured during the festival is suing rapper and producer Travis Scott, who was the organizer of the Astroworld Festival, as well as entertainment company Live Nation, concert promoter Scoremore and others involved in the event, according to the lawsuit obtained by CNN.

Manuel Souza, who is being represented by the law firm Kherkher Garcia, “suffered serious bodily injuries when the uncontrolled crowd at the concert knocked him to the ground and trampled him,” according to the lawsuit filed in Harris County, Texas.

“Instead, they consciously ignored the extreme risks of harm to concertgoers, and, in some cases actively encouraged and fomented dangerous behaviors. Their gross negligence caused Plaintiff serious injuries.”

A jury trial is preferred to determine the exact amount of damages, according to the lawsuit, but Souza is seeking “monetary relief of over $1,000,000.”

CNN has reached out to Scott, Live Nation and Scoremore for comment on the lawsuit.

Live Nation is a concert promoter, venue operator and the owner of Ticketmaster. According to its website, it sells 500 million tickets to concerts and festivals each year.

In a video posted on Instagram Saturday night, Travis Scott said, “I’m honestly just devastated.” 

“We’re actually working right now to identify the families so we can help assist them through this tough time,” the rapper continued. 

CNN has reached out to Travis Scott, Live Nation and Scoremore for comment on the lawsuit.

The Astroworld Festival site on Friday, November 5.

Police are in the early stages of a criminal investigation after a crowd surge at a Houston music festival on Friday left eight people dead and scores more injured, with at least two fighting for their lives in critical condition.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said authorities were working to determine the circumstances behind the crush at the Astroworld Festival, and told CNN’s Pamela Brown Sunday the city’s thoughts are with those who were killed or injured.

Rapper Travis Scott, who headlined and organized the festival, was due to perform shortly after 9 p.m. Friday when thousands of attendees rushed forward, getting closer to the stage.

“The crowd for whatever reason began to push and surge towards the front of the stage, which caused the people in the front to be compressed — they were unable to escape that situation,” Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña told CNN.

As Scott performed, the situation worsened as concertgoers near the front were trapped. Witnesses told CNN of harrowing scenes of people crushed or trampled as calls for help were drowned out by the music.

The Houston Police Department said Sunday the investigation is “very active and is in its early stages,” and department services remained available to those seeking information on loved ones who were in attendance.