The 2021 Astroworld Festival turned out to be a tragic night for many, as chaos erupted during Travis Scott's performance, resulting in the death of eight people and hundreds more suffering injuries.
The family of nine-year-old fan Ezra Blount who attended Astroworld is suing rapper Travis Scott, as the boy is now in a medically induced coma after being kicked, stepped on, and trampled at the festival. The family hired famed Civil Rights attorney Benjamin Crump to file the case against Travis Scott and promoter Live Nation Entertainment Inc.
In an interview with CNN, Ezra's grandfather Bernon Blount said, "When my son went to the concert, he had my grandson on his shoulders. All the people pushed in and he could not breathe so he ended up passing out because of all the pressure that was being applied to his body. And when he passed out, Ezra fell off his shoulder and fell into the crowd."
Bernon added that their family is "devastated because this was supposed to be a father-son outing for them to bond and it has turned into something horrible and tragic."
Attorneys Benjamin Crump and Alex and Bob Hilliard released a statement on behalf of the Blount family, saying, "The suffering that this family is going through is immeasurable. This little boy had his whole life ahead of him -- a life that is currently hanging in the balance because of the reckless mismanagement that ensued at the Astroworld Festival."
In the suit against Travis Scott and Live Nation Entertainment Inc., Crump writes that Ezra is suffering severe liver, kidney, and brain damage, and that the injuries will reportedly affect his "ability to grow and thrive."
Another attendee at Astroworld, Bharti Shahani, a 22-year-old student at Texas A&M University, has been declared brain dead after suffering injuries during the crowd surge. She went with her sister and cousin, but they were separated in the crowd when things got too chaotic.
Her cousin Mohit Bellani told ABC13, "Once one person fell, people started toppling like dominos. It was like a sinkhole. People were falling on top of each other. There were like layers of bodies on the ground, like two people thick. We were fighting to come up to the top and breathe to stay alive."
Once Mohit and Bharti's sister Namrata finally escaped the crowd, Bharti was nowhere to be found. Namrata told ABC13, "Once we let go of her hand, the next time we saw her, we were in the ER."
Bharti has been in critical condition on a ventilator since the tragic night of the festival.
Travis Scott has offered to cover the funeral costs for those who lost their lives at his Astroworld Festival. In a statement released by Scott's representatives, they say he is working with law enforcement to identify and connect with concertgoers and the families of the deceased, saying that "these are the first of many steps Travis plans on taking as a part of his personal vow to assist those affected throughout their grieving and recovery process."
Scott has also reportedly partnered with BetterHelp to offer free mental health services to those who are seeking help after being traumatized by the event at Astroworld.
Radar Online reports that Scott faces more than 20 lawsuits for his alleged negligence of continuing to play as people were being crushed and ambulances arrived. Another concertgoer, Noah Gutierrez, will also be represented by Benjamin Crump, the same attorney representing Blount family.
Scott has not yet commented on the lawsuits. ~Sean Olegario
Update November 15, 2021: Both Bharti Shahani and Ezra Blount have since passed away in hospital.
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