Travis Scott Addresses Astroworld Festival Tragedy: ‘I’m Absolutely Devastated’

BENICASSIM, SPAIN - JUL 19: Travis Scott (rapper) performs in concert at FIB Festival on July 19, 2018 in Benicassim, Spain. (Credit: Shutterstock)

Travis Scott issued a statement Saturday after chaos erupted at his Astroworld music festival in Houston leaving eight people dead and dozens of others injured.

“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,” the rapper said in the statement on Twitter.

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Scott went on to thank first responders and NRG Park, where the event took place.

“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. Love you all,” Scott added.

Hours later, he posted a video on his Instagram Stories saying he would have stopped the show if he had known the severity of the situation.

“My fans really mean the world to me and I always want to leave them with a positive experience. Any time I can make out anything that’s going on, I stop the show and help them get the help they need,” he said. “I could just never imagine the severity of the situation.”

The festival went horribly wrong shortly after Scott took the stage Friday around 9:15 p.m. A huge crowd surged toward the front of the concert causing a stampede, according to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña.

“People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic,” Peña told reporters. “This was a tragic night.”

In a media briefing Saturday, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the dead ranged in age from 14 to 27. A total of 13 people remained hospitalized.

Police Chief Troy Finner addressed reports that someone at the festival was injecting people with drugs.

“We do have a report of a security officer… that he was reaching over to restrain or grab a citizen and he felt a prick in his neck,” Finner said. He added that the security guard lost consciousness while being examined. Medical staff administered Narcan, a drug used to treat opioid overdoses, to save him.

“He was revived, and the medical staff did notice pricks that were similar to when somebody’s trying to inject,” Finner said.

Nick Johnson, a high school senior from the Houston area, told the Associated Press the festival was simply too crowded.

“Everyone was passing out around you, and everyone was trying to help each other. But you just couldn’t move. You couldn’t do anything. You can’t even pick your arms up,” Johnson said. “It just got worse and worse.”

The Astroworld website said the event was sold out. According to published reports, about 50,000 people attended on Friday night. Day two performances were canceled following the deadly surge.

The festival was launched in 2018. Scott has previously said it was created to “bring back the beloved spirit and nostalgia of Astroworld” making a childhood dream come true. The festival was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic and fans had eagerly awaited its return this weekend.