A 9-year-old boy is in an induced coma after he was trampled at Travis Scott’s Houston concert last week, one of many attendees seriously injured in a crowd surge that left at least eight people dead.
Ezra Blount was at the rapper’s Astroworld Festival concert Friday with his father, KTRK-TV in Houston reported Monday. During the show, Ezra was lifted onto his father’s shoulders to stay above the crowd, but the pair fell during the crowd crush, the child’s grandfather, Bernon Blount, told reporters.
“My son couldn’t breathe because of all the pressure that was being applied to him, and he passed out. And when he passed out, Ezra fell into the crowd,” Blount said Monday, adding that his grandson was taken to the hospital as a “John Doe” amid the chaos. “He was trampled really bad.”
Blount told the Houston Chronicle that the 9-year-old was in a medically induced coma with severe damage to his internal organs.
“We’re struggling with seeing the injuries to our grandchild and what he had to go through to receive those injuries,” Blount told the Chronicle. “We’re hurt and disappointed that the city would allow an event to go on like this and for people to be deceased. We just want to know who’s responsible.”
The child was just one of many injured at the festival when many in the crowd of 50,000 suddenly rushed forward toward the stage. Footage of the event shows a chaotic scene with people pressed together, with some attendees sharing videos of people pleading with organizers to call off the show.
At least eight people died, ranging in age from 14 to 27.
Investigators are investigating the circumstances of the event, including why Scott continued to play after festival employees were told some people had been injured. At one point, the rapper acknowledged an ambulance had entered the crowd but didn’t leave the stage until 30 minutes more had passed. Houston’s police chief said officials at the scene worried about ending the concert early, fearing it could trigger rioting.
Scott has pledged to cooperate with investigators, although questions remain about his role in inciting crowds during his performances in the past.
More than a dozen attendees have sued Scott, Live Nation and other festival co-organizers in recent days, with some claiming the event “failed to properly plan and conduct the concert in a safe manner.”
Bernon Blount said his family’s experience only added to that concern, asking how security measures could have contributed to the injuries and deaths last week.
“How could this happen in the city of Houston,” Blount asked. “When we go to concerts and different events, we expect safety and security.”