Deadly Texas mob movement: Rappers Travis Scott and Drake sued

Published on : 08/11/2021 – 10:14

Two days after a crowd movement that left eight dead and many injured at the Astroworld music festival in Texas, in the southern United States, a lawsuit was filed Sunday, November 7, against rappers Travis Scott and Drake, accused of “causing havoc”.

Texas firm Thomas J. Henry Law tweeted an article in the Daily Mail on Sunday, confirming that it had filed “one of the first complaints against Travis Scott at the Astroworld festival.” Kristian Paredes, the 23-year-old complainant, is one of the people “seriously injured” during the concert which took place on the night of November 5.

“The crowd has become chaotic”

In total, nearly 50,000 people were in the crowd of the Astroworld festival, where more than 360 police officers and 240 security guards were mobilized. At around 9:00 p.m. local time, the crowd began to rush to the front of the stage, causing panic and the first injuries. Then people began to fall and lose consciousness, causing further panic, authorities said.

Texas resident Kristian Paredes is also suing the concert organizers, Live Nation, and the performance venue. He explains that he “felt an immediate push” at the front of the general entry section when Travis Scott took the stage, according to the complaint. “The crowd became chaotic and a stampede began.” “Several people begged Live Nation security guards for help, but were ignored,” the complaint continues.

The complaint, filed in court in Houston, ensures that Travis Scott has already “incited chaos and mayhem” during previous concerts. She also accuses rapper Drake of having contributed to this crowd movement by going on stage. The latter continued his concert, despite the fact that the “crowd was getting out of control”. According to other accounts, Travis Scott, who launched Astroworld tour in 2018, stopped performing in the sight of his distressed fans near the stage.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said authorities were reviewing video footage and speaking to witnesses, concert organizers and people in hospital.

City Police Chief Troy Finner also said his department has opened a criminal investigation into homicide and narcotics, following reports that someone in the public injected bystanders with drugs. A security guard felt a prick in his neck, passed out and was resuscitated after being injected with Narcan, a drug used to treat opioid overdoses, said Finner.

With AFP and Reuters