UPDATE: Ten people have died as a result of the Astroworld concert as of November 14.
Hip-hop star Travis Scott’s latest Astroworld concert turned deadly last Friday, as thousands of concert goers scrambled to escape the Houston-based venue.
Police say the crowd of more than 50,000 people surged center stage, injuring dozens of attendees. Tem people died, and dozens were hospitalized.
The youngest among those who died that night was only 9 years old.
What was supposed to be an exciting, two day music festival, fans are now calling “a concert from hell”. The event became a frightening evening for everyone, quickly.
“The crowd just kept surging forward, pushing tighter and tighter, […] half an hour before he came out I knew this was going to be a huge problem,” Eric Daniels recalled. “Then, once Travis Scott came on around 9, that’s when all hell broke loose.”
Those who went to the festival that night, like Daniels and his 18-year-old son, say it was terrifying to witness.
“As we were looking down, it was like the fear in their eyes, and the panic of them wanting to get out, and get air,” he noted.
While Daniels and his son were able to escape the overwhelming crowd, others remained trapped.
Now, some of Scott’s fans on campus are re-evaluating how they feel about the super star.
“He did have multiple opportunities to stop the show,” said Conner Basinger, a Temple junior. “They have footage of one part where he can clearly see someone getting lifted out of the crowd, unconscious.”
“I don’t believe that he’s liable for what happened, but I do believe he could have taken more steps to have a better solution to what was going on,” Basinger added.
In light of this, many students are concerned about upcoming events.
“After what happened I probably wouldn’t feel safe going to a concert if it was general admission,” said Annie Brady, a Temple senior.
In response to some of these concerns, concert venues like the Liacouras Center want to assure concert goers that they are taking precautions to keep people safe.
“We were saddened to hear about the tragic events that took place last weekend in Houston. Our hearts go out to all those affected,” wrote Jim Grofstrom, the center’s general manager, in a statement to Temple Update.
“Our venue maintains strict security measures for guest entry, including walk-through metal detectors, wanding, and bag policies,” Grofstrom stated. “We work closely with law enforcement, fire and medical to thoroughly tailor individualized safety plans.”
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