By Dejana Gillespie and Melinda Mathew
Concerts are a surreal experience, one in which many people attend for the joy of being in the presence of their favorite artist and for the unforgettable memories. For Travis Scott’s recent concert-attendees, this was not the case. On November 5, 2021, fans assembled at NRG park in Houston, Texas. At around 9:00 p.m., when Travis Scott took stage, 50,000 individuals surged towards the front, killing 11 people and injuring hundreds more.
Prior to Travis Scott’s performance, all acts were staggered between two stages to ensure the large crowds were divided. However, as Travis Scott was a solo act, there was nothing keeping the crowds divided and people ran towards the main set. By the time the clock hit 9:38 p.m., the concert was considered a mass casualty event. There was a severe lack of security and medical personnel.
A major issue was the inexperience of the staff at Astroworld. One of the security staffers, Darius Williams, reported he had no security experience and was only inclined for retail and hospitality. His training was not specific and he felt uneasy working during the concert. In regards to the medical staff, there was an inadequate amount of medical supplies to help aid the injured attendees. They had only one automated external defibrillator and an electronic pad to support the thousands injured.
Madeline Eskins, an ICU nurse who was also in attendance at Astroworld, had her body “crowd surfed” to the medical staff that was there. When she regained consciousness, she had no memory of what happened. When she woke up, she was asked to help perform CPR for those who were pulseless. She claimed to have seen no medical equipment, such as ambulance bags. She also said that “some of these medical staff had little to no experience with CPR and did not know how to check a pulse, carotid or femoral.”
This is not the first time America has witnessed a concert become fatal. In 1979, at The Who’s concert in Cincinnati, fans were crushing each other to get into the doors of the show. This resulted in 11 deaths and an awakening for the nation.
Source by Hannah Kim
Large crowds, similar to the one above, can become very congested at concerts.
Scott’s bad reputation for concert conduct is not shocking news. In 2015, Scott encouraged fans to climb security barricades which resulted in a fan becoming paralyzed after being shoved off a third story platform and then dragged onto the stage during the concert. Scott incites this violent aggression by telling fans, “It ain’t a mosh pit if ain’t no injuries.” Many people are upset with the actions of Scott.
“I was shocked and angry at Travis Scott and his management,” said sophomore Jorden Abraham.
COVID-19 may have also led to the increased impact of what happened at the concert. As live events were unable to take place, people’s only source of music was online. Now that the concerts are back in full effect, excitement skyrocketed and escalated into violence. With musicians and fans excited to get back to normal, the exhilaration may become too much to bear.
This catastrophe caused the deaths of 11 people ranging from 9-27 years old. Many people are debating whether this event could have been prevented. Scott is also facing many lawsuits and the backlash of the media.
“People shouldn’t have to die to go to a concert,” said junior Jemi Mathew.