Police Release 1,300-Page Investigative Report on Astroworld Festival Deaths Same Day as Travis Scott’s Utopia Album
Houston police have released a 1,300-page investigative report on the Astroworld festival deaths, coincidentally, on the same day Travis Scott dropped his Utopia album.
Houston Police Release Final Reports on Astroworld Festival Tragedy
On Friday (July 28), Houston police released a 1,300-page investigative report on what occurred during the deadly Astroworld Festival tragedy, which left 10 people dead, including a 9-year-old boy, and roughly 300 other people injured. According to the Associated Press, the report included transcripts of concertgoers' 91 calls, texts from security working at the event and police interviews with hundreds of employees conducted days after the tragic event.
Police interviewed Travis Scott two days after the concert. The rapper-producer told investigators that although he did see one person near the stage getting medical attention, overall the crowd seemed to be enjoying the show and he did not see any signs of serious problems.
"We asked if he at any point heard the crowd telling him to stop the show. He stated that if he had heard something like that he would have done something," police said in their recounting of Travis' interview.
Drake, who was performing with Travis at Astroworld Festival, was also interviewed by police and he told them that it was difficult to see anything from the stage at the time of his performance. The OVO Sound leader added that he found out about the tragedy later that night from his manager, while learning more on social media, police said in their summary.
Security and event staff had a different experience. Khou.com reported that after Travis Scott’s 9 p.m. show, a security contractor texted the festival’s security director, "Stage right of main is getting crushed. This is bad." He continued, "Pull tons over the rail unconscious. There's panic in people's eyes. This could get worse quickly." The security director later told investigators that she checked and didn’t see what the contractor described.
Read More: Eight Dead, Nearly 20 Injured After Mass Casualty at Travis Scott's 2021 Astroworld Festival
Travis Scott Will Not Be Charged for 2021 Astroworld Festival Deaths
Last month, a Houston grand jury decided to not charge Travis criminally for the 10 deaths that happened at the 2021 Astroworld Festival. The decision comes following a 19-month investigation into the Nov. 5, 2021 incident, which caused the deaths of 10 people following a crowd surge that crushed people at the front of the stage. All 10 deaths were caused by accidental asphyxia after the crowd slowly compacted in a central location, crushing dozens of concertgoers. The festival was attended by a large crowd of around 50,000 people.
The 32-year-old artist was hit with multiple lawsuits from people hurt and by family members whose loved ones were killed at the festival. The first lawsuit was settled last October.
Read More: Travis Scott Releases Statement Addressing Mass Casualty Event at 2021 Astroworld Festival
Travis Scott's Attorney Feels Houston Police Tried to Derail Utopia With Release of Police Report
One of Travis Scott's attorneys, Kent Schaffer, told TMZ that he believes it was no coincidence that Houston Police Department would release their final reports on the Astroworld Festival tragedy on the same day his client would release his new album Utopia.
Schaffter said that the authorities were aware of Travis' album release and believes that they released the 1,300-page report in order to hurt the rapper's album sales and deflect blame from law enforcement for not charging Travis with a crime.
Travis' rep reportedly issued a statement to TMZ also suggesting that HPD's release of their report wasn't coincidental but on purpose.
"The timing of the Houston Police Department report’s release, coinciding with the launch of Travis Scott's highly anticipated album, is anything but coincidental," the statement began.
"Travis Scott and his team were, as anticipated, fully cleared of any wrongdoing associated with the Astroworld tragedy by a grand jury based on the very report released today. It is outrageous that HPD has chosen to resort to tactics that attempt to discredit Travis and his team, casting doubt on how the unfortunate events at Astroworld actually transpired while deflecting blame from their own critical failures."
"Travis's commitment to his audience's safety and well-being is well-documented," the statement continued. "As reported countless times, he actively stopped the show three separate times."
"Contrary to the HPD report’s inaccuracies, the concert did end at the exact time communicated to Travis," the statement went on further. "Meanwhile, Houston police officers present at the event did not intervene during the unfolding situation. They were observed throughout the show standing by idly, buying merch and even filming the concert in its entirety.
"We encourage the Houston PD to make peace with the fact that Travis Scott and his team were found innocent of any wrongdoing and to focus on what really matters – making sure tragedies like Astroworld never occur again under their watch," the statement concluded.
