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More lawsuits filed following Astroworld tragedy

Astroworld festival
Posted at 10:06 AM, Nov 12, 2021
and last updated 2021-11-12 12:08:22-05

Attorneys representing concertgoers who were injured at the deadly Astroworld music festival earlier this month filed more than 90 additional lawsuits against the organizers Friday, including rapper Travis Scott and entertainment company Live Nation.

Nine people were killed at the concert when the crowd surged toward the stage as Scott performed. Dozens were hospitalized, and hundreds were treated for injuries at the scene.

Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump was among the lawyers representing the plaintiffs. He said he's representing more than 250 people, some of whom were "physically, mentally and psychologically" injured.

"This is not just about making sure we get justice," Crump said. "It is also about making sure Live Nation and all of the organizers...that had to do with the failure here that led to families losing their children."

Speaking alongside Crump were several people who were in attendance at the show.

Uniqua Smith, a mother of two, said Astroworld was "by far the most traumatizing experience of my life." She reported seeing other concertgoers experience seizures as the crowd closed in. She later said she was unable to get home until early the next morning due to lack of transportation.

Dishon Isaac described the concert as a "war zone."

"I just remember bodies everywhere. Limp bodies, people pulling bodies out of the crowd," Isaac said, noting he spent 20 minutes on the ground.

CNN reports that Scott's performance began around 9 p.m. local time, at which point police began receiving calls about injuries in the crowd. Police declared a "mass casualty event" around 9:40 p.m., but Scott's performance continued until after 10 p.m.

Eight people were pronounced dead in the hours after the concert, and a ninth victim died of her injuries on Wednesday. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 27.

The lawsuits filed Friday are just the latest legal actions filed against the organizers of the concert.

Prominent officials have called for an independent investigation into the incident.