Following the concert stampede that killed at least eight people, at least 18 lawsuits have now been filed against Astroworld organizers and Travis Scott as of Tuesday. The organizers of Day N Vegas in Nevada have revealed that Scott, the rapper who headlined and the tragic music festival, would no longer be performing.
In all but one of the lawsuits, event organizer Live Nation Entertainment was listed as a defendant, while Scott was named in most of them. At least one of the suits mentioned other persons and organizations engaged with the performance, including NRG Stadium and actor and singer Drake, who performed with Scott when the incident happened.
The lawsuit that named Drake as one of the defendants accused him of playing a role in inciting the crowd as a “surprise guest” with Scott, both of whom remained on stage while eight people were being trampled to death.
Both performers have taken to social media to express their sympathies to the victims. Scott said in a tweet that he was “absolutely devastated” by what had happened, while Drake said he was heartbroken by the tragic deaths.
A 9-year-old child, who is now in a medically induced coma, was one among those seriously injured in last week’s tragic concert. Houston’s fire chief stated Monday that five of the dozens of others who were injured are still in critical condition.
Investigators are seeking to uncover all possible causes of death and injury among concertgoers, including whether a batch of counterfeit tablets likely laced with fentanyl played a part in the chaos.
Judge Lina Hidalgo of Harris County said Monday that toxicology findings will be crucial in determining what transpired and if the show’s performers and organizers are to blame for the deaths.
“There’s a lot of evidence of drug use. Could that have been part of it? It’s hard for these families to grieve without answers,” Hidalgo said.
A security officer was among those injured during the stampede. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner reportedly reached out to grab a concertgoer before feeling a prick in his neck. He reportedly then went unconscious. Medical personnel provided Narcan, a medicine used to treat opiate overdoses, to revive him.