Houston rapper Travis Scott (real name Jacques Webster) will not receive any charges following the tragic 2021 Astroworld crowd crush. The horrific incident left ten dead, including a ten-year-old boy, and thousands injured.
On November 5th 2021, at NRG Park, Webster hosted his Astroworld Festival. However, the excitement and rowdiness of the attendees led to a fatal crowd crush that caused many to be hospitalised.
The tragic incident sparked a lot of controversy, and many pinned the crush on the rapper. Many of the fans present at the event were under the influence of toxic drugs and alcohol. As such, many questioned the lack of checks at the festival.
Following the incident, Harris County investigated the festival to determine whether or not Webster was partially responsible for the crush. However, after a 19-month investigation, law enforcement has determined that the emcee will not face any criminal charges.
Following this news, Kent Schaffer, Scott’s attorney, released a statement reading, “My client Travis Scott will not be charged with criminal charges or any wrongdoing for his involvement with AstroWorld festival. Today’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.”
It continues, “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.”
Scott removed himself from the public eye following the incident. However, this year he resurfaced and will soon be releasing his highly anticipated album, Utopia. The project will be his first since 2018’s, Atroworld.
