A Texas grand jury has decided not to indict the rapper Travis Scott over his Astroworld Festival crush, which left 10 dead and thousands injured.
The grand jury also reportedly decided not to indict others involved in the festival’s planning including its chief of security John Junnell and festival director Brett Silberstein.
“In this instance, the grand jury of the 228th District Court of Harris County found that no crime did occur, that no single individual was criminally responsible,” District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Thursday (29 June).
“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,” Scott’s spokesperson Ted Anastasiou told CNN.
“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.”
“Criminally speaking there is no case,” Scott’s attorney, Kent Schaffer told CNN by phone.
Schaffer added that Scott was “ecstatic” to hear of the jury’s decision. “It’s a huge weight that has been removed from his shoulders. He’s looking forward to getting back home after being cleared by the grand jury,” Schaffer said.
Reuters first reported Thursday that prosecutors were presenting evidence to grand jurors and ask them whether there is probable cause to support criminal charges.
Travis Scott— (Getty Images for MRC)
The probe stemmed from a deadly surge of fans at Astroworld in Houston, where thousands were injured when the over-capacity crowd pressed forward as Scott took the stage. 10 people were killed by compressive asphyxiation, including a 10-year-old boy.
The tragedy unleashed a wave of litigation against Scott and the festival’s organizers, including entertainment giant Live Nation, which merged with Ticketmaster in 2010.
The plaintiffs alleged that Scott, Live Nation and more than two dozen other defendants let too many people into the venue despite knowing the risks because they wanted the concert to appear packed.
At least 4,900 fans were injured, according to lawyers representing victims in lawsuits against Scott and the organizers.
The cases were consolidated in Texas state court in a process known as multidistrict litigation, which streamlines adjudication of similar lawsuits.
The family of one of the people killed settled on undisclosed terms with Scott, Live Nation and others in October 2022.
Other lawsuits remain pending, including a case brought by the family of the 10-year-old boy who was killed.
Attorney Robert Hilliard, who represents that family, said in a statement Thursday that “both criminal and civil accountability are critical to ensure that those responsible for the loss of innocent lives understand the permanent devastation they caused these families.”
Additional reporting by Reuters
