Travis Scott will not be charged over the Astroworld tragedy.
Travis Scott won't be charged
The 32-year-old rapper was headlining the festival in his hometown of Houston, Texas in November 2021 when a mass crowd crush claimed the lives of 10 people near the front of the stage, but on Thursday (29.06.23), a grand jury in the state ruled the 'Goosebumps' hitmaker and others connected with the planning of the event were not responsible for what had happened.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said the grand jury meeting was the culmination of 19 months of investigation into the tragedy.
She added: "Our investigators and prosecutors gave it everything they had to ensure that the grand jury could reach the truth."
Travis' lawyer, Kent Schaffer, said the ruling was a "great relief" for the rapper, who still faces multiple civil cases.
He also told CNN: “He is ecstatic. It’s a huge weight that has been removed from his shoulders. He’s looking forward to getting back home after being cleared by the grand jury."
And a spokesperson for the 'Sicko Mode' rapper urged the US government to take steps to ensure such a tragedy never happens again.
His representative told CNN: “While waiting patiently for the District Attorney’s decision to not file charges, Travis Scott has been inaccurately and wrongly singled out, despite stopping the show three separate times and being unaware of the events as they were unfolding.
"Now that this chapter is closed, we hope for the government efforts to focus on what is most important - stopping future heartbreaking tragedies like Astroworld from ever occurring again.”
Live Nation festival manager Brent Silberstein was also cleared of any wrongdoing.
His lawyer, Christopher Downey, said: "Brent did everything they could to run a safe festival."
While Travis settled a civil case with one victim, Axel Acosta, multiple actions filed by others involved in the crush and their families remain active.
Robert Hilliard, an attorney representing another victim's family, said that "both criminal and civil accountability are critical to ensure that those responsible for the loss of innocent lives understand the permanent devastation they caused these families".