The first two lawsuits have been filed against Travis Scott, Live Nation, and other entities affiliated with Astroworld Festival in light of Friday night’s tragic events that left eight people dead and hundreds injured.
In a lawsuit filed Saturday in Harris County District Court, an attendee named Manuel Souza, who was injured at Astroworld, said negligence on the part of Scott and Live Nation led to a “predictable and preventable tragedy.”
“Defendants failed to properly plan and conduct the concert in a safe manner,” said Souza’s attorney, Steve Kherkher of the law firm Kherkher Garcia LLP. “Instead, they consciously ignored the extreme risks of harm to concertgoers, and, in some cases actively encouraged and fomented dangerous behaviors.”
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Souza’s lawsuit specifically cites an incident in which individuals unlawfully breached a security gate earlier in the day, and accuses Scott of encouraging his fans to engage in reckless and dangerous behavior. The lawsuit also questions why Scott’s performance was allowed to continue even after ambulances arrived on scene to respond to individuals in need of medical attention.
Souza is seeking at least one million dollars in damage, as well as a temporary restraining order preventing any destruction of evidence.
A second suit has been filed by an Astroworld attendee named Kristian Paredes. In addition to Scott and Live Nation, Paredes’ suit lists Drake (who was a surprise guest during Scott’s performance) and Houston’s NRG Stadium as defendants.
Paredes claims Scott and Drake “incited the crowd” into actions that left him “severely injured,” and is seeking more than one million dollars in damages.
Paredes’ attorney, Thomas J. Henry, also announced that he is offering “immediate consultations to all injured victims as well as to families who had loved ones hurt or killed at the concert.”
“There is no excuse for the events that unfolded at NRG stadium on Friday night,” Henry said in a statement. “There is 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.”
Investigators are still trying to determine what caused a stampede to occur during Scott’s headlining set on Friday night. In a video statement released Saturday night, Scott said he was not aware of the severity of the situation until after he finished performing.