One Astroworld Victim's Family Reaches Conclusion In Lawsuit Against Travis Scott
In 2021, Travis Scott's concert during the Astroworld Festival in Houston caused a crowd surge that left 10 people dead and many others injured, per NBC News. The sold-out event had around 50,000 people in attendance, with many of them rushing toward the stage during Scott's performance. "People began to fall out, become unconscious," Fire Chief Sam Peña told CNN.
Many blamed Scott for the disastrous event, who has been accused of inciting chaos at his concerts and had even encouraged an attendee to jump from a balcony into the crowd in 2017, according to CBS. Others thought the venue was to blame for the tragic deaths and injuries. Professor Keith Still, who is an expert in crowd science, shared with Newsweek, "If you're planning for any event that has [a] high energy performer, such as Travis Scott, then I wouldn't have used the design that they had. You need to be able to plan and manage your crowd ... and your space according to the type of performance."
Following the festival, Scott and Live Nation were slapped with hundreds of lawsuits which were eventually made into one big case, per Billboard. Now, a year later, the family of one of the victims is finally getting closure.
Axel Acosta's family has agreed on a settlement
The family of Axel Acosta reached a settlement in the $750 million lawsuit against Travis Scott and Live Nation following the Astroworld tragedy (via NBC News). The amount of the settlement was undisclosed. The victims' attorney, Tony Buzbee, stated, "Victim Axel Acosta was a beloved son, brother, and student. He was kind and loving. He is greatly missed. Please keep his family in your prayers." According to NBC News, Acosta suffered cardiac arrest during the concert's surge and was trampled on the ground. He was just 21 years old at the time of his death.
Following the tragic event, Scott announced, "My team and I created Project HEAL to take much-needed action towards supporting real solutions that make all events the safest spaces they can possibly be. I will always honor the victims of the Astroworld tragedy who remain in my heart forever," per Billboard. Scott also stated that he would cover the funeral costs of all the victims, which half of the families rejected, according to the BBC. The rapper's offer fell flat on many of the victims' families, who hoped that Scott would find redemption elsewhere and hopefully learn from his mistake.