Huge Development InTravis Scott Criminal Case, Involving Astroworld Tragedy
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Rapper Travis Scott got news on the criminal charges stemming from the 2021 Astroworld Festival. On Thursday, a Texas grand jury decided not to indict Scott, chief of security John Junnell and festival director Brett Silberstein, according to CNN.
“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 said.
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In December 2021, tragedy struck Scott’s Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas when a dangerous crowd surge led to the death of 10 people. Hundreds were also injured. The medical examiner stated that the cause of death was “compression asphyxia,” describing a scenario where “the pressure from the large crowd at the event was so great that it quickly squeezed all the air from the lungs of the 10 victims.”
“It is tragic that 10 innocent people were killed while trying to enjoy an evening of music and entertainment, something many of us do routinely and without a second thought to our safety. But a tragedy isn’t always a crime, and not every death is a homicide,” Ogg said. “This grand jury’s determination has no impact on the many civil lawsuits pending.”
In the aftermath of the event, Scott, festival promoters, organizers and security were the subject of multiple lawsuits from the victims’ families. In October 2022, two of the families reached a settlement with Scott, but he’s still facing several more lawsuits. “He is ecstatic. 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,” Scott’s attorney Kent Schaffer told CNN
Scott’s spokesperson Ted Anastasiou expressed a desire to move forward and focus on preventing a similar tragedy in the future.
“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,” 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.”
Though he’s not being held criminally responsible, Scott’s reputation hasn’t recovered since the tragedy. His career has also not returned to the heights it was at before the festival. He’s played a few private nightclub shows and afterparties, as well as international festivals, but in the United States, Astroworld will likely always follow him.
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