Rapper Travis Scott and some organisers of the Astroworld festival will not face criminal charges in relation to the deaths of 10 people that were killed as the result of a crowd crush in October 2021.
According to the Houston Chronicle, a grand Jury made the ruling yesterday (Thursday).
Some 50,000 fans attended the show outside of NRG Park in Houston, Texas. A crowd surge led to the deaths of 10 attendees, who were aged between nine and 27-years-old.
Scott, and promoters Live Nation and subsidiary ScoreMore still face multiple civil claims alleging wrongful death, personal injuries and negligence. Scott, Live Nation and ScoreMore have denied the allegations and have motioned for the suits to be dismissed.
In a statement to Variety, Scott’s attorney Kent Schaffer said: “My client Travis Scott will not be charged with criminal charges or any wrongdoing for his involvement with Astroworld festival.
“[Thursday’s] decision by the Harris County District Attorney confirms what we have known all along – that Travis Scott is not responsible for the Astroworld tragedy.
“This is consistent with investigative reporting by numerous media outlets and federal and state government reports that have squarely placed the onus for event safety crises on organisers, operators and contractors – not performers. While waiting patiently for the District Attorney’s decision to not file charges, Travis Scott has been inaccurately and wrongly singled out, despite stopping the show three separate times and being unaware of the events as they were unfolding.
“Now that this chapter is closed, we hope for the government efforts to focus on what is most important – stopping future heartbreaking tragedies like AstroWorld from ever occurring again.”