Grand Jury Determines Travis Scott Not Criminally Responsible for Deadly Astroworld Incident

Frank Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Travis Scott, the rapper and producer behind the ill-fated 2021 Astroworld Festival, will not face charges related to the deadly crowd crush that claimed 10 lives and injured hundreds, announced District Attorney Kim Ogg on Thursday.

A grand jury also declined to indict others involved in the festival, including chief of security John Junnell and festival director Brett Silberstein, as part of the police investigation.

The grand jury from the 228th District Court of Harris County determined that no crime had occurred and that no individual could be held criminally responsible, according to Ogg. While recognizing the tragedy of the 10 innocent lives lost, Ogg clarified that not every tragedy constitutes a crime and that the grand jury's decision would not affect the ongoing civil lawsuits filed against Scott and other organizers, including Live Nation.

The victims, whose deaths were attributed to "compression asphyxia" by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, included a nine-year-old.

Multiple lawsuits have been filed, alleging negligence in the festival's planning and promotion. Scott's spokesperson, Ted Anastasiou, stated that Scott had halted the show three times and was unaware of the unfolding events. Scott's attorney, Kent Schaffer, conveyed the news of the grand jury's decision to the rapper, who is currently overseas for a concert, expressing Scott's relief and eagerness to return home.

“He is ecstatic. It’s a huge weight that has been removed from his shoulders. He’s looking forward to getting back home after being cleared by the grand jury,” Schaffer told CNN.