Family of 9-Year-Old ‘Catastrophically Injured’ at Astroworld Is Suing Travis Scott

The father of a 9-year-old boy who is in a coma after attending the Astroworld Festival is suing Travis Scott for negligence—one of at least 40 lawsuits the rapper and event organizers are now facing. 

Lawyers Ben Crump and Bob Hilliard are representing Treston Blount, who went to the Houston concert with his son Ezra last Friday. In a news release, the lawyers said Ezra is on life support in a medically induced coma “in an attempt to combat his brain, liver, and kidney trauma.” He is believed to be the youngest victim at the event.

Eight people, including a 14-year-old, died at the concert, some getting trampled and others crushed as the crowd surged forward. Videos emerging on social media show Scott continued to perform as fans were being crushed and trying to alert camera operators that people were dying. 

Blount’s lawyers allege Scott, his record company Cactus Jack Records, ScoreMore Management, Live Nation Entertainment, and others were negligent when it came to crowd control, training, and supervision, and failed to provide proper medical attention.

“This young child and his family will face life-altering trauma from this day forward, a reality that nobody expects when they buy concert tickets,” Crump said in the release. “Concerts and music festivals such as this are meant to be a safe place for people of all ages to enjoy music in a controlled environment. None of that was true about the Astroworld Festival.” 

BuzzFeed News reports the Blount family is seeking at least $1 million in damages. 

VICE News reached out to Travis Scott’s manager and Live Nation for comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

In a statement posted to Twitter Saturday, Scott said he’s “devastated” by the mass-casualty event and will work with police. 

“I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need,” he said. 

Blount has started a crowdfunding campaign for his son’s medical expenses. On the crowdfunding page, he said he had his son on his shoulders and was awaiting a Drake appearance when Treston passed out after being crushed. He said his son has brain swelling and “trauma to nearly all organs.” 

“We are certain that he was trampled,” Blount said. 

The lawsuit is one of more than 40 that have been filed in Harris County District Court regarding Astroworld. Drake was among those sued for  inciting "a riot and violence,” according to CBS News.

Drake posted on Instagram Monday, saying, “I’ve spent the past few days trying to wrap my mind around this devastating tragedy.” 

Los Angeles personal injury lawyer Miguel Custodio, who is not connected to the lawsuits, put out a statement saying potentially everyone who was at the show—50,000 people—could sue for damages. 

“This was the main event, so everybody would have been gathered around the stage and many of them likely walked away with cuts and bruises or PTSD. So the class of plaintiffs could potentially be every ticketed guest,” he said.

Houston police have also launched a criminal investigation, though there are questions surrounding the role police and the fire department had in crowd control at the event. 

In a news release, criminal attorney Matthew Barhoma said Scott could face charges for disorderly conduct but it would be very hard to prove he had an intent to cause harm. 

“Don’t expect Travis Scott to receive a jail sentence over this,” Barhoma said.

Follow Manisha Krishnan on Twitter.