Travis Scott and organizers should have stopped Astroworld, Houston fire chief says

Travis Scott and the organizers of the Astroworld music festival should have stopped the event when they realized members of the crowd were in danger, Houston's fire chief said in a new interview Tuesday. Eight people were killed, including two teenagers, when a crowd surged toward the stage.

"Absolutely. Look: We all have a responsibility. Everybody at that event has a responsibility. Starting from the artist on down," Chief Samuel Peña told NBC's "Today" show.

"The artist, if he notices something that's going on, he can certainly pause that performance, turn on the lights and say, 'Hey, we're not going to continue until this thing is resolved,' Pena added. "That's one way to do it, yes."

The tragedy occurred on the first night of the third installment of the festival, with more than 50,000 concertgoers in attendance. As Scott performed, the crowd pushed toward the front of the stage, causing panic and resulting in hundreds of injuries. Twenty-five people were rushed to local hospitals, 11 of whom suffered cardiac arrest, according to police.

In an Instagram video, Scott said he did not know the severity of the situation while he was performing. "My fans really mean the world to me and I always just really wanna leave them with a positive experience," the 29-year-old rapper said. "Anytime I could make out, you know, anything that's going on — I stop the show and help them get the help they need."

Scott has pledged to cover the funeral expenses for those killed. In a statement, his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, said, "I want to make it clear we weren't aware of any fatalities until the news came out after the show, and in no world would have continued filming or performing."

The Houston police department is still investigating the incident.

While speaking to "Today," Pena said investigators are still trying to determine what caused the deadly crowd surge. "Surely, we're looking at everything. We owe it to the families and we need to ensure this does not happen again."

"I'm not prepared to say that (Scott) was fully aware of what was going on," Pena added. "All I'm saying is that everybody at that event, from the artist on down, security, and everybody that's there to provide public safety, including the crowds. In general, we all have a responsibility when we attend these venues to ensure each other's safety. We're a community at these events."

Scott and Live Nation, the company that organized the festival, face several lawsuits stemming from the deadly incident.

Scott, born Jacques Webster, started the festival in 2018, naming it after his album "Astroworld," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The name Astroworld is a nod to a former Six Flags theme park in Houston.

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