Travis Scott is being sued by a concertgoer who was injured during the Astroworld tragedy on Friday night, which left eight people dead and hundreds more injured. In the suit, obtained by SPIN, and first reported by Billboard, Manuel Souza filed a lawsuit against Scott himself, as well as organizer ScoreMore and concert behemoth Live Nation, claiming the deadly disaster was “predictable and preventable,” “a motivation for profit at the expense of concertgoers’ health and safety” and the “encouragement of violence.”
“Defendants failed to properly plan and conduct the concert in a safe manner,” Souza’s attorney, Steve Kherkher of the firm Kherkher Garcia LLP, said. “Instead, they consciously ignored the extreme risks of harm to concertgoers, and, in some cases actively encouraged and fomented dangerous behaviors.”
A second suit was filed by 23-year-old Kristian Paredes on Sunday. The suit, which was obtained by the Daily Mail, names Travis Scott and Drake as defendants and are accused of negligence. It alleges that Drake “came on stage alongside Travis Scott and helped incite the crowd” and “the crowd became chaotic and a stampede began leaving eight dead and dozens including Kristian Paredes severely injured.”
Live Nation and Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation are also defendants.
Paredes’ lawyer, Thomas J. Henry said, “There is no excuse for the events that unfolded at NRG stadium on Friday night.”
Representatives for Scott, ScoreMore and Live Nation have yet to comment on the lawsuit, which is the first of what’s predicted to be many.
The devastating incident occurred when a large portion of the festival’s 50,000-person crowd attempted to rush to the front of the stage during Scott’s headlining set all at once, resulting in fans crushing each other. Scott issued a statement following the tragic event.
“I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival,” he wrote. “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,” the rapper added. “Love You All.”
