8 Dead And Hundreds Injured At Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival In Houston (UPDATE)

Travis Scott’s 2-day music festival, Astroworld, started in Houston, TX yesterday, and it ended in a horrific dystopian nightmare that left at least 8 people dead (the ages of 7 of the victims range from 14 to 27), 11 people going into cardiac arrest, and at least 300 injured, including a 10-year-old child, when the massive crowd pushed themselves toward the stage. Added to that, there’s video of audience members begging staff to end the show.

Even before performances began during day one of Astroworld, there were red flags. TMZ says that 50,000 people were at the festival at NRG Park, and a bunch of fans knocked over barricades while rushing into the venue. But Joey Guerra, music critic for The Houston Chronicle, tells CNN that things were pretty normal throughout the afternoon and evening. The trouble started during Travis Scott’s headlining set at around 9 pm. Joey noticed emergency vehicles cutting into the crowd, which he says isn’t that out-of-the-ordinary for a music festival since many times people need to be treated for dehydration and things like that. But as Travis’ set went on, it became clear that what was happening was the opposite of normal.

Madeline Eskins, an ICU nurse, was in the crowd and she tells CNN that before Travis took the stage, there was a timer on a big screen, counting down to his performance, and that’s when the crowd started to push each other toward the stage. It got worse and worse and scarier and scarier, and she had constant pressure on her chest from being crushed When Travis’ performance started, she knew she and her boyfriend Sam had to get out of there but it was nearly impossible and she ended up passing out. Madeline was carried to a section and a security guard sat her on a stool. While sitting there, she noticed unconscious people being carried out of the crowd and asked the security guards if they were checking for pulses. The scene was a total horrific clusterfuck because security guards had no idea what to do and asked her for help. She began to help and noticed that the medical staff seemed to get their training by reading answers on Quora because they were also overwhelmed and not prepared. Madeline says she even saw teenagers trying to help by giving CPR but they had no idea what they were doing.

there’s more to it but this is astrofest 21. pic.twitter.com/RUaPN75Bs4

— mamas🖤🖤 (@madddeline_) November 6, 2021

Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena says that when people in the audience passed out from suffocating, others panicked, and the situation became even worse. One concertgoer climbed onto a platform where a camera operator was and told him that people were being crushed and were dying and that the show needed to stop. But she says in a series of Instagram Stories that he didn’t do shit and told her to get off the platform. When another staff member stepped in to intervene, she also told him that they needed help, but was ignored and kicked off the platform.

more footage from the show 🙏🏾🙏🏾 #ASTROWORLDFest #AstroWorld pic.twitter.com/m1l7LaHzRv

— DaRealPiped😷💕 (@helowkeyspittin) November 6, 2021

TMZ is hearing from a “source connected to Astroworld” who says that not only were people being crushed in the crowd but they were also being injected with drugs by a random person. None of this has been confirmed. UPDATE: Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said in a press conference today that they heard a security guard was stuck with something in the neck, which caused him to lose consciousness and he was revived with a “rescue shot” of Narcan. via CNN:

“We do have a report of a security officer, according to the medical staff that was out and treated him last night, that he was reaching over to restrain or grab a citizen and he felt a prick in his neck. When he was examined, he went unconscious, they administered Narcan,” Finner said during a news conference Saturday. “He was revived and the medical staff did notice a prick similar to what you would get if somebody was trying to inject. That is one part of it.”

Also during today’s press conference, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner confirmed that 8 people have died and said their ages were 14, 16, 21, 21, 23, 23, 27, and one whose age isn’t known right now. 25 people were taken to the hospital and 13 are still in the hospital, including five minors.

Astroworld organizers have canceled the rest of the festival and said that they are cooperating with the investigation and that their “hearts are with the Astroworld Festival Family” especially those who lost their lives and their loved ones. Travis Scott tweeted his own statement, saying that he’s “devastated” and his “prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival.”

Travis’ girlfriend Kylie Jenner and their 3-year-old daughter Stormi Webster were there last night. Kylie posted video on her Instagram Stories of an ambulance in the crowd.

I want to remind you that you can see the ambulance on Kylie Jenners Instagram story from the Travis Scott concert and despite the news has not been taken down #AstroWorld pic.twitter.com/SIhGPbs71n

— mooncake (@LokisHairFlip) November 6, 2021

There’s also a video of people jumping and dancing on emergency vehicles that were carrying unconscious people out of the crowd…. during a pandemic. That dark-sided image pretty much sums up 2021.

Pic: AP