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Updated Jun 29, 2023, 06:48pm EDT
Topline
Travis Scott avoided criminal charges Thursday after a Texas grand jury declined to indict the rapper and producer over a crowdsurge that killed 10 people and left several injured at the Astroworld music festival 2021.
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Key Facts
District Attorney Kim Ogg announced the grand jury found that “no single individual was criminally responsible” for the music festival incident.
Scott’s lawyer, Kent Schaffer, confirmed the grand jury’s consensus and noted that he was not certain what charges it considered against Scott, according to the Associated Press.
Schaffer said he sympathized with those impacted by the tragedy, saying Travis was “not responsible” and that “bringing criminal charges against him will not ease their pain,” the AP report added.
Others involved with the music festival, such as chief of security John Junell and festival director Brett Silberstein, were spared from indictment, as well.
What To Watch For
The decision to not indict Scott only covers the criminal charges the rapper could have faced. Thursday’s outcome "has no impact on the many civil lawsuits pending,” Ogg said. More than 400 civil lawsuits have been levied against Scott, Live Nation and other organizers, according to Billboard.
Key Background
All 10 of the victims who died at the 2021 Astroworld music festival were killed by accidental “compression asphyxia,” according to a Harris County medical examiner report. The youngest victim of the crowdsurge was 9-year-old Ezra Blount. Approximately 300 people were injured at the festival, with 25 requiring hospitalization. After the tragedy, Houston law enforcement and federal officials launched investigations into the event’s safety measures. The House Oversight and Reform Committee specifically sought information from Live Nation, the festival’s promoter, on security and crowd control measures, among other things.
Big Number
About 50,000. That’s the number of fans that attended the festival hosted at NRG Park in Houston, Texas.
Further Reading
Rapper Travis Scott will not face criminal charges in Astroworld crowd surge, his lawyer says (AP)
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Antonio Pequeño IV is a breaking news reporter based in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Forbes, Antonio was a reporter with the San Fernando Valley Business Journal and Los Angeles Business Journal covering the local finance and biotech sectors. He is a graduate of CSU San Marcos and the University of Southern California. Tips: apequeno@forbes.com | Twitter @pequeno04
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