An Astroworld planning document instructed staff to call dead concertgoers 'smurfs' and not to say 'dead' or 'deceased' over the radio
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The Astroworld promoter Scoremore told staff to call dead fans "smurfs," per a planning document.
The document also instructs event staff members to never say "dead" or "deceased" over the radio.
It added to "let event continue" in the presence of unconfirmed bomb or terrorism threats.
Staff members at the rapper Travis Scott's Astroworld festival were told ahead of time to refer to any dead concertgoers as "smurfs," according to an event-planning document created by the concert organizers Scoremore.
The Event Operations Plan for the two-day concert series at NRG Park in Houston instructed staff members to never use the terms "dead" or "deceased" over the radio.
Instead, Scoremore told the concert staff to use the code word smurf to describe concertgoers thought to have died.
A spokesperson for Houston's mayor's office said questions about the term "smurf" should be referred to Scoremore.
Scoremore and Live Nation did not immediately return requests for comment.
A source close to Scott told Insider: "Travis' team is not involved in any venue security or emergency planning. The plan was created by a separate group entirely."
The planning document was first reported by CNN and was drafted before the concert was held.
A later part of the document discussing bomb or terrorist threats said discreet evacuations should be carried out in any areas where suspicious activity was identified after a threat was received. That section included a black text box with white lettering advising staff members in all caps: "All efforts should be made to not panic spectators. Let event continue if threat is not in their area."
Scott's performance turned deadly Friday as fans surged toward the stage, crushing spectators.
Eight people - including a 14-year-old and a pair of best friends - died in the crowd surge, authorities have said. Hundreds more - including a boy still on life support - were injured in the mayhem.
Since the show, at least 18 lawsuits have been filed against Scott, Live Nation, and Scoremore by survivors and families of victims seeking damages. Scott has said he is "devastated" and offered to pay funeral costs for deceased fans.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to clarify the statement from a spokesperson for the mayor of Houston's office.
Read the original article on Insider
