Nine of the 10 wrongful death lawsuits stemming from the Astroworld music festival tragedy in 2021 have reached settlement agreements, with the one set to face a jury this week among them, lawyers said Wednesday. The terms are under wraps due to a gag order, with none of the attorneys offering comments in the aftermath of the court update.
The lawsuits were filed after a crowd surge at the festival resulted in 10 fatalities, among them 23-year-old Madison Dubiski from Houston, whose case was resolved just as jury selection was about to commence according to FOX26 Houston. Neal Manne, representing Live Nation, confirmed the settlement progress during a hearing, noting only one wrongful death lawsuit remains pending - the one filed on behalf of 9-year-old Dallas native Ezra Blount, the youngest of the deceased.
Despite the settlements, attention remains on the details that emerged from the tragedy, with over 1,200 pages of a Houston police report, released last July, cataloging the chaos and failed efforts to halt the concert early. The documents, including quotes from security and police personnel signaling distress and the onset of danger that fateful night, were released after a 20-month probe that concluded without any criminal indictments laid upon performers or organizers, including rap superstar Travis Scott as per a grand jury's decision.
On the night Scott performed, a security contractor alerted to the dire situation with a message stating, "Stage right of main is getting crushed. This is bad," followed by reports of unconscious people, documents revealed by KHOU 11 show. Despite these alarms, the concert continued, with a delayed response time that saw the show's halting only after Scott had been informed - without detail of the emergency's severity - to wrap things up as the situation outside turned 'hectic'.
In statements obtained by KHOU 11, Scott claimed unawareness of the pleas to end the concert and described the crowd as "super chill," despite detailed accounts contradicting this perception. While the Houston Police Department has cited transparency as the reason for the report's release, coinciding with Scott's album launch, it has been labeled a mere coincidence by officials.
