Travis Scott Will Not Face Criminal Charges Over Astroworld Tragedy, Lawyer Confirms
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Travis Scott will not be facing any criminal charges related to the deadly 2021 Astroworld Music Festival, his legal team announced this week.
A Texas grand jury has declined to indict the rapper on criminal charges after a massive crowd surge left 10 people dead and hundreds injured at his Houston Astroworld concert in November 2021. His attorney, Kent Schaffer, confirmed the news of the grand jury's decision on Thursday, June 29.
“He never encouraged people to do anything that resulted in other people being hurt,” Schaffer said according to the Associated Press, calling the decision "a great relief." He did note that he was unsure of what charges had been considered, however.
After Scott, 32, was on stage when the fatal stampede took place, Houston police and federal officials have been investigating the performer's role in the tragic incident, while also looking deeper at the safety precautions put in place by concert promoter Live Nation and other parties potentially involved.
But according to District Attorney Kim Ogg, "no single individual was criminally responsible," per Deadline.
Scott's lawyer told the AP that he had sympathy for the families who lost loved ones in the accident, the victims of which included a 9-year-old boy. "But Travis is not responsible," Schaffer insisted. "Bringing criminal charges against him will not ease their pain."
The "goosebumps" artist is still, however, facing a mountain of civil lawsuits, after initially being named in over 300 complaints after the incident occurred.
The family of one of the victims, 21-year-old Axel Acosta—who died of "compression asphyxia" in the Nov. 5 crowd surge in 2021—previously filed a lawsuit against Scott, Live Nation Entertainment and others. According to Rolling Stone, Acosta's family settled the suit in October 2022, though the specifics of the settlement have been sealed.
A lawsuit filed by the family of another victim, Brianna Rodriguez, has been settled as well, Rolling Stone also confirmed.
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