WHITMAN, MASS. (WHDH) - A Massachusetts man who attended rapper Travis Scott’s sold-out concert in Houston recalled the panic happening within the surging crowd.
Tyler Dezutter, 24, of Whitman, told 7NEWS that he’s “still at a loss for words” after the crowd surge claimed the lives of eight people and left several others injured.
“Everybody was starting to push and move forward, back and forth, side to side,” he said. “It was starting to be like a cluster and everything.”
A crowd of 50,000 people was packed in tightly as Scott began to headline the Astroworld festival.
Many were crushed and trampled as waves of people moved toward the stage.
Investigators say Scott continued to play for about 30 minutes after the concert was declared a mass casualty event.
An investigation remains ongoing into what the rapper knew and when.
Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said that “At one point, even Mr. Scott noticed I believe an ambulance in the crowd.”
“If the lights would have been turned on, the promotor or artist called for that, it would have chilled the crowd, and who knows, who knows what the outcome would have been,” Peña said.
Several lawsuits have been filed against Scott, the companies that organized the event, and others for inciting mayhem.
Rapper Drake who took the stage alongside Scott is also named in a lawsuit.
He released a statement that read in part, “I’ve spent the past few days trying to wrap my mind around this devastating tragedy… My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives… I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can.”
Scott says he will pay for the funeral costs for the eight people who died. He is also canceling an upcoming show in Vegas.
Organizers of Astroworld are refunding money to people with tickets to the festival.
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