The family of a nine-year-old boy who was left in a coma after being 'nearly crushed to death' at Travis Scott 's Astrowor...
The family of a nine-year-old boy who was left in a coma after being 'nearly crushed to death' at Travis Scott's Astroworld concert has said they are suing the star for $1million for gross negligence.
Ezra Blount was dropped when his father Treston passed out as he held him above the crush of bodies at the deadly festival show on Friday and has extensive damage to his lungs, kidneys, liver, heart and brain.
Eight people were killed at the NRG stadium on Friday night, more than 300 people received treatment at an emergency field hospital set up there, 11 others went into cardiac arrest and dozens more were knocked unconscious.
The lawsuit against Scott claims the artist and concert organizers failed to enforce proper crowd safety protocols or provide sufficient security staff for the event, which was attended by more than 50,000 people.
Blount's family blamed Scott and organizers for failing to stop the show for more than 40 minutes after a 'mass casualty event' had been declared by city officials, despite pausing the concert on three occasions.
Scott's record company Cactus Jack Records and several Live Nation and NRG Park employees were also implicated in the lawsuit - one of several filed by victims that could see the artist and Drake pay 'billions' in damages.
The family of nine-year-old Ezra Blunt (pictured right, with his father Treston) who was left in a coma after being 'nearly crushed to death' at Travis Scott's Astroworld concert has said they are suing the star for $1million for gross negligence
Lawsuit against artist Travis Scott (pictured at Astroworld) claims the artist and concert organizers failed to enforce proper crowd safety protocols or provide sufficient security staff for the event, which was attended by more than 50,000 people
Ezra Blount was among the hundreds of concertgoers hospitalized during the stampede at the Travis Scott show.
The boy traveled from his mother's home in Dallas to see one of his favorite artists with his dad, Treston. But the father-son outing quickly turned into a nightmare.
Treston said he passed out while holding up Ezra so he would not be crushed. When he came to at the venue's medical tent, his son had been admitted by himself to an area hospital as a John Doe.
'Due to his severe injuries which are swelling in the back of brain damage and trauma to nearly all organs we are certain that he was trampled and is still in induced coma,' Treston wrote on a GoFundMe initiative for his son, which has raised over $50,000.
Treston is a huge Travis Scott fan, with an Astroworld graphic as his Facebook cover photo and even an Astroworld tattoo on his forearm. Now, though, he and his family are looking for answers - and Travis Scott's apologies thus far haven't cut it.
'I've seen apologies online that didn't look so sincere from people who participated in the event. If you feel so bad, why don't you go to the hospital to check on your fans? Why would you keep letting concerts be this way and let people get injured?' Ezra's grandfather, Bernon Blount, told ABC13.
'Nobody should get injured to make a dollar - nobody should have to lose their child, their grandchild to make a dollar. Safety should have been provided for their fans.'
The boy's grandfather said the nine-year-old was injured so severely at the event that he went into cardiac arrest.
'If the mayor said there was 500 policemen there, I didn't see 500 policemen,' he said. 'When the event said there were 700 security, I didn't see 700 security - I saw children running through their gates trampling each other, that's what I saw.'
Ezra Blount (pictured), 9, traveled from his mother's in Dallas to see one of his favorite artists with his Dad, Treston. The boy's father said he passed out while holding the boy up so he wouldn't be crushed - when he came to at the venue's medical tent, his son had been admitted by himself to an area hospital as a John Doe
Ezra's Dad Treston (pictured) is a huge Travis Scott fan, with an Astroworld graphic as his Facebook cover photo and even an Astroworld tattoo on his forearm. Now, though, he and his family are looking for answers - and Travis Scott's apologies thus far haven't cut it
Around 2pm hundreds of fans stormed the festival's VIP entrance. About seven hours later the surge in front of the main stage killed eight people but the two events appear to be unrelated
Scott has said he will cover the funeral costs for the eight people killed during the violent crowd surge at his festival as he has been hit with a slew of lawsuits from surviving victims who accuse him of causing 'extreme distress'.
The rapper was yesterday hit with a lawsuit involving 68 people injured in the deadly crush - as Texas attorney Thomas J. Henry, father of Liam Payne's girlfriend Maya Henry, says that he is being contacted by more people 'by the hour.'
'While we are all still working to understand the full scope of the Astroworld tragedy, I believe the damages suffered by its victims could total in the billions', Henry said.
Among his clients is 23-year-old concertgoer Kristian Paredes whose complaint accuses Scott and Drake of 'inciting mayhem' at the event in Houston on Friday night.
Texas-resident Paredes says he was left 'severely injured' and is demanding $1 million to cover the costs of his healthcare treatment.
He 'felt an immediate push' at the front of the general admission section as Travis Scott got on stage, the complaint said.
'The crowd became chaotic and a stampede began,' it went on. 'Many begged security guards hired by Live Nation Entertainment for help, but were ignored.'
The suit, filed in Houston's Harris County court, claims Scott 'had incited mayhem and chaos at prior events' and that 'defendants knew or should have known of (Scott's) prior conduct.'
The eight dead (L-R): Rodolfo 'Rudy' Pena, 23; Jacob Jurinek, 20; Franco Patino, 21; Brianna Rodriguez, 16; Danish Baig, 27; Axel Acosta, 21; John Hilgert, 14; Madison Dubiski, 23.
Drake is also accused of 'inciting mayhem' and faces being made to paid damages
The suit also accuses Canadian rap superstar Drake, who joined Scott's headline set, of contributing to causing the surge toward the stage.
'As Drake came onstage alongside of Travis Scott he helped incite the crowd even though he knew of Travis Scott's prior conduct,' the complaint charges.
He continued to perform even as the 'crowd became out of control' and the 'crowd mayhem continued,' it added.
Drake, 35, called the crush a 'devastating tragedy' in an Instagram post Sunday night, saying: 'My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering.
'I will continue to pray for all of them and will be of service in any way I can. May God be with you all.'
High-profile attorney Ben Crump announced Sunday he had also filed suit against Scott and Astroworld.
Crump specializes in civil rights and personal injury, and has represented clients including the families of victims of police violence George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
He and co-counsel Bob Hilliard filed suit Sunday on behalf of 21-year-old concertgoer Noah Gutierrez, who described 'a scene of chaos and desperation.'
The lawyers said they expected to file suit on behalf of other concertgoers during the week.
'We are hearing horrific accounts of the terror and helplessness people experienced - the horror of a crushing crowd and the awful trauma of watching people die while trying unsuccessfully to save them,' Crump and Hilliard said in the statement.
'We urge others who suffered physical or emotional injury or witnessed the events of that day to contact us.'
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