Roddy Ricch is Donating His Astroworld Profits to Families of Victims
The Astroworld Festival in Houston ended in tragedy after 8 people were killed and several injured following a crowd surge while Travis Scott was on stage. Those fatally injured during the event ranged in age from 14 to 27.
The festival was cancelled following Friday night's stoppage.
Astroworld Festival Performer Donating Earnings
Compton-born rapper Roddy Ricch is reportedly donating the money he made at last weekend's Astroworld Festival to the families of the 8 people killed as a crowd rushed toward the stage.
Let the Lawsuits Begin
Meanwhile, the first lawsuit to stem from the tragedy has been filed by Texas' Thomas J Henry Law on behalf of a 23-year-old concertgoer injured during the event. The lawsuit names Travis Scott, Drake, and festival organizers.
Backlash Against Travis Scott
There's also been a push to have Travis Scott removed from the Coachella lineup in the wake of the tragedy. Sadly, this isn't the first time he's been the center of attention after a safety and security incident at a big show.
History of Safety Incidents
Noah Shachtman, editor-in-chief at Rolling Stone said, “Travis Scott is legendary in the hip-hop community for his beyond high-energy performances, where he really tries to rile up the crowd, that makes for some really fun shows and made for a couple of scary incidents.”
Scott was arrested in 2017 following a show in Arkansas where he encouraged fans to bypass security and rush the stage. The incident left a security guard, a police officer, and several other people injured.
Back in 2015, Scott was sentenced to a year of court supervision from charges in Chicago at Lollapalooza where he basically did the same thing, telling fans to bypass security and go through barricades to get in.
Not The First Concert/Festival Turned Deadly
Horrific events have happened before at concerts. In 1979 at a Who concert in Cincinnati, 11 people died while rushing the stage upon entrance.
Nearly 100 people died at a soccer stadium in England in 1989 due to crowd surge, and even worse was in 2015 when more than 2,400 people died following a collision of two crowds at the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Those numbers were based on an AP report and officials comments following the incident.
Of course, one of the most tragic incidents involving a big musical act was a gig by reunited 80s rock band Great White at The Station Night Club in Rhode Island back in 2003. Pyrotechnics at that show caused a fire in which 100 people died, including guitarist Ty Longley. 115 other people were badly burned.
Our Sincerest Condolences
It's difficult to know what to say after such a tragic incident like that at Astroworld in Houston this past weekend. Our sincere condolences go out to the families of those killed, and we wish the injured a speedy recovery.