The death toll now stands at nine after a 22-year-old college student who was critically injured in the crush of fans at the Astroworld festival died in hospital. Video / news.com.au
Rappers Travis Scott and Drake have both been sued after the "crowd surge" at the Astroworld Festival on Friday that left eight people dead.
Texas lawyer Thomas Henry filed a lawsuit today against Scott, whose real name is Jacques Bermon Webster, and Drake, real name Aubrey Drake Graham, reports Fox News.
Live Nation and NRG Stadium have also been named in the suit.
The Daily Mail reports that the suit is being filed on behalf of Kristian Paredes, 23, from Austin, Texas, who attended the concert.
Paredes is reportedly seeking over $1.35 million in damages after the rappers allegedly "incited the crowd", leaving him and hundreds of others injured.
The festival performance turned deadly when the crowd began surging towards the stage after Drake made an appearance.
Houston's mayor Sylvester Turner confirmed at a news conference that the ages of the victims were 14, 16, 21, 21, 23, 23, and 27, while the age of one fatality is still unknown.
Henry noted in a press release that Scott and Drake continued performing even as vehicles tried to break through the crowd to help the injured amid calls for the show to be stopped.
"Live musical performances are meant to inspire catharsis, not tragedy," Henry said.
"Many of these concertgoers were looking forward to this event for months, and they deserved a safe environment in which to have fun and enjoy the evening. Instead, their night was one of fear injury, and death."
The rappers are both being sued by concert-goers over their injuries. Photos / Getty Images
Billboard is reporting that this is the second lawsuit to emerge from the incident, obtaining a petition by concert attendee Manuel Souza suing Scott as well as organiser ScoreMore and Live Nation.
Scott's longtime girlfriend Kylie Jenner issued a statement on social media on Sunday noting that he was unaware of the situation.
At the same event in 2019, a crowd stampede broke out leaving at least three people injured. Scott was also reportedly arrested in 2017 for calling on fans to get past security and rush the stage at an Arkansas show.
In 2015, Scott pleaded guilty to charges after a similar incident at Lollapalooza in Chicago, according to AP.
