Current:Home > BackTravis Scott not criminally liable for Astroworld Festival deaths, grand jury finds-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Travis Scott not criminally liable for Astroworld Festival deaths, grand jury finds
View Date:2024-12-23 16:46:43
A grand jury decided not to charge rapper Travis Scott for the deaths of ten people during his show at the Astroworld music festival in Houston in 2021, the Harris County District Attorney's office said Thursday.
The Harris County grand jury didn't find enough evidence to criminally charge Scott or others connected to the concert with a role in the deaths, CBS affiliate KHOU reported.
The "mass casualty incident" occurred after 9 p.m. at Scott's show on Nov. 6, 2021, when a crowd began to "compress" toward the front of the stage, "and that caused some panic, and it started causing some injuries," Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said at a news conference the day after the tragedy.
The concert was divided into quadrants, and all 10 deaths occurred due to overpopulation and compaction within a single quadrant, Houston police officials said at a news conference Thursday.
"This was not a crowd stampede. This was not a stage rush. This was not a crowd surge. This was a slow compaction or constriction into this quadrant resulting in collapsing within the crowd," Detective Mike Barrow said.
The jury's conclusion came after a 19-month investigation by the Houston Police Department that involved digital evidence, witness statements and chronology reports, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said.
The police's full report will be released to the public, although officials did not specify when.
According to Christopher Downey, a lawyer representing Astroworld Festival manager Brent Silberstein, the charges were brought against Silberstein and five others for their role in the incident.
"The grand jury found today that there were no probable charges against Brent Silberstein, or any of the other five people being considered for indictment, including Travis Scott," Downey said on Thursday.
"This has been two long years for Brent Silberstein. It's been an enormously stressful time and we were ready to defend against any criminal charges," Downey said.
In an interview a few days after the incident, Houston's fire chief said Travis Scott and the organizers of the Astroworld music festival should have stopped the event when they realized members of the crowd were in danger.
"Absolutely. Look: We all have a responsibility. Everybody at that event has a responsibility. Starting from the artist on down," Peña told NBC's "Today" show.
"The artist, if he notices something that's going on, he can certainly pause that performance, turn on the lights and say, 'Hey, we're not going to continue until this thing is resolved,' Pena added. "That's one way to do it, yes."
The tragedy occurred on the first night of the third installment of the festival, with more than 50,000 concertgoers in attendance. As Scott performed, the crowd pushed toward the front of the stage, causing panic and resulting in hundreds of injuries. Twenty-five people were rushed to local hospitals, 11 of whom suffered cardiac arrest, according to police.
In a conversation with radio host Charlamagne Tha God in Dec. 2021, Scott said he didn't realize a mass casualty event was unfolding.
"I didn't even know the exact detail until minutes before the press conference," Scott said. "At that moment, you're kinda just like, what? You just went through something and it's like, what? The thing Is — people pass out. Things happen at concerts. But something like that?"
Scott said organizers told him through his earpiece they were going to stop the show after the guest finished his set but did not tell him why they were stopping. "They just told me that right after the guest gets off stage, you know, we're gonna end the show," Scott said. "And that's what we did. Now, other than that, there was no other communication."
- In:
- Houston
- Travis Scott
S. Dev is a news editor for CBSNews.com.
veryGood! (859)
Related
- The state that cleared the way for sports gambling now may ban ‘prop’ bets on college athletes
- University of Texas professors demand reversal of job cuts from shuttered DEI initiative
- When will the Fed cut rates? Maybe not in 2024, one Fed official cautions
- Small plane clips 2 vehicles as it lands on North Carolina highway, but no injuries are reported
- A pregnant woman sues for the right to an abortion in challenge to Kentucky’s near-total ban
- Part of a crane falls on Fort Lauderdale bridge, killing 1 person and injuring 3 others
- Tourist from Minnesota who was killed by an elephant in Zambia was an adventurer, family says
- What's story behind NC State's ice cream tradition? How it started and what fans get wrong
- Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline, shrugging off Wall Street’s overnight rally
- Earthquake rattles NYC and beyond: One of the largest East Coast quakes in the last century
Ranking
- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had mild stroke this month, team says
- Final Four X-factors: One player from each team that could be March Madness hero
- Last chance to see the NCAA's unicorn? Caitlin Clark's stats put her in league of her own
- World Central Kitchen boss José Andrés accuses Israel of direct attack on Gaza aid convoy
- Suicides in the US military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend
- Buy groceries at Walmart recently? You may be eligible for a class action settlement payment
- Emergency summit on Baltimore bridge collapse set as tensions rise over federal funding
- $35M investment is coming to northwest Louisiana, bringing hundreds of jobs
Recommendation
-
Michael Grimm, former House member convicted of tax fraud, is paralyzed in fall from horse
-
LeBron's son Bronny James will enter NBA Draft, NCAA transfer portal after year at USC
-
New Mexico electric vehicle mandates to remain in place as auto dealers fight the new rules
-
Small plane clips 2 vehicles as it lands on North Carolina highway, but no injuries are reported
-
Vikings' Camryn Bynum celebrates game-winning interception with Raygun dance
-
SpaceX launches latest Starlink missions, adding to low-orbit broadband satellite network
-
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appears at Republican gala in NYC, faces criticism over migrant crisis
-
99 Cents Only Stores to close all 371 spots in 'extremely difficult decision,' CEO says