Travis Scott's Astroworld music festival in Houston, Texas ended in tragedy on Friday night (November 5) after a crowd surge left at least eight people dead and 300 injured. Travis Scott has now issued a statement about the events that occurred the night before.
"I'm absolutely devastated by what took place last night," Scott wrote in his statement. "My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival. Houston PD has my total support as they continue to look into the tragic loss of life. I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need. Thank you to Houston PD, Fire Department and NRG Park for their immediate response and support. Love You All."
The Astroworld Festival also issued a statement on Saturday morning (November 6), saying that they are currently working with local officials and the show has been canceled for Saturday.
"Our hearts are with the Astroworld Festival family tonight – especially those we lost and their loved ones," the festival said in their own statement. "We are focused on supporting local officials however we can. With that in mind the festival will no longer be held on Saturday."
17 patients, including one 10-year-old, had been transported to the hospital following the stampede. 11 of those transported are reported to have been in cardiac arrest at the time. The crowd surge occurred at approximately 9:38 p.m. on Friday night, with Houston Fire Department Chief Samual Peña saying, "The crowd began to compress toward the front of the stage and that caused some panic and started causing some injuries. People began to fall out and become unconscious and that created additional panic."
Those in attendance during the events have taken to social media to share videos of the tragedies and report on their own experiences. A few attendees spoke to KHOU, and festivalgoer Stephen Gutierrez said of his experience, "I witnessed someone unconscious, struggling to get him out, like his friends were trying to get him out and just people weren't caring enough to make a path."
CPR for those who had collapsed was administered in the crowd, and the Houston Fire Department dispatched 50 units to the festival location.
"Our hearts are broken," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo at a news conference following the incident. "People go to these events looking for a good time. It's not the kind of event where you expect to find out about fatalities."
Astroworld began in 2018, when Scott released his album of the same name. The festival has taken place in his hometown of Houston, Texas, ever since, and this weekend marked the festival's return after having to cancel 2020 due to the pandemic.