Legal Experts Explain How Much Trouble Travis Scott Could Be In After Astroworld Tragedy
Many can't help but wonder what's next for rapper Travis Scott following the tragic loss of life that took place at his 2021 Astroworld music festival. One thing remains clear, however. It's going to be a long and arduous road for Scott.
Per ABC News, several lawsuits have now been filed against the "Goosebumps" crooner with many citing negligence and claiming that Scott continued to perform all while knowing emergency vehicles had descended into the crowds. Per Daily Mail, festival attendee Kristian Paredes was the first to come forth and file a lawsuit against Scott, Live Nation Entertainment Inc., and Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation. Paredes' attorney Thomas J. Henry claimed that there was "every indication that the performers, organizers, and venue were not only aware of the hectic crowd but also that injuries and potential deaths may have occurred. Still, they decided to put profits over their attendees and allowed the deadly show to go on."
Nicki Swift spoke with two legal experts to better understand just how much trouble Scott could be facing.
One legal expert says victims and their families deserve accountability
Sadly, this is not the first time a concert has turned deadly. Legal expert and Dallas attorney Michelle Simpson Tuegel was the first attorney to bring forth a lawsuit on behalf of the victims of the mass shooting that took place at the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest music festival. Per the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Route 91 Harvest festival left 60 dead and hundreds more injured. In Tuegel's expert opinion, crowd control of the Astroworld event appeared to be "severely lacking." She explained, "We have plenty of concerts in the world, and people don't usually die. I think it's reasonable to investigate whether or not critical safety measures, which should be standard at large concert events, may not have been implemented here."
According to Tuegel, it's also not hard to see the striking similarities between the Route 91 Harvest mass casualty incident and the Astroworld tragedy. "There weren't only shooting victims, but also a number of serious injuries resulting from trampling and not being able to properly exit the facility in an emergency," she said. "I visited some of those victims and their families in the hospital, and words can't really describe their pain."
In short, Tuegel believes that "the number of people killed and injured at Astroworld suggests that emergency evacuation and safety procedures were not in place," and the families of the victims are owed both "a thorough and serious investigation" and "accountability" for the festival's fatal shortcomings.
Travis Scott's previous offenses could spell trouble for him
Appeals and litigation attorney Matthew Barhoma, who founded Barhoma Law, also weighed in on the trouble Travis Scott could be facing following his deadly 2021 Astroworld music festival.
According to Barhoma, Scott could be liable both civilly and criminally. "With the civil liability, he has already been sued by some family members and I suspect that he will be named in additional lawsuits for wrongful death, negligence, breach of various duties as an invitee (business setting), etc," Barhoma explained. "As for the criminal liability, he could be facing various charges, including inciting a riot, disorderly conduct, and other conduct-specific crimes. This is especially made stronger because he has a history of these charges in the past," he opined. "I think if the local authorities investigated and wished to bring charges, they can easily obtain a conviction and demand a harsh penalty that avoids jail time but is punitive in nature (monetary sanctions and community service)." Barhoma was careful to point out, however, that it would be hard to prove "actual knowledge."
Barhoma also noted that Texas is a three-strike state and that could spell trouble for Scott due to his prior offenses. "Here, you have 8 deaths. So at minimum, he certainly can be tried for inciting a riot and disorderly conduct. Additionally, this may count as a second strike against him, which would make these offenses even more serious in the penalty phase," he said. "This can really elevate a possible sentence, if he was tried and convicted."