9-year old Ezra Blount from Dallas, Texas, is the youngest person to die due to multiple injuries after being trampled on by a crowd surge at the Astroworld music festival in Houston. The Blount family attorney confirmed that Ezra died on Sunday at the Texas Children’s Hospital.
Ezra was in a medically induced coma after acquiring his injuries for days following the incident that happened during Travis Scott’s performance on November 5, making the 9-year-old victim the tenth to die due to the crowd surge. Ezra’s family released a statement that he incurred severe damage to his brain, kidney, and liver. In addition, the boy was reportedly “kicked, stepped on, and trampled, and nearly crushed to death.”
Ezra went to the music festival with his father, who shared that the boy was sitting on his shoulders when Travis Scott opened his set. Attendees said that there was a sudden rush of chaos when the rapper took the stage, followed by ripples of panic from the crowd.
In an interview with ABC13, Ezra’s father, Treston Blount, shared that Travis Scott was one of his son’s favorite artists. “He was stoked, he was ready to go, from the McDonald’s commercials to Fortnite, Ezra was already a big fan,” he said.
Treston shared that they stayed at the rear of the crowd to avoid the chaos, but as the performance went on, people were forcing their way forward, causing him to lose consciousness. When the father regained consciousness, he found Ezra trampled under the feet of the crowd. He then immediately took him to the medical tents and local hospitals. Later on, medical responders stated that Ezra’s internal organs had been severely damaged, and his brain was swollen.
Furthermore, fire and police officials have confirmed that the crowd situation in the festival grew to an increasingly alarming state even before Travis Scott’s set. There were already a handful of concertgoers who were injured and taken to the hospital. Shortly before 5 PM, the Houston Police Department reported “dangerous crowd conditions.”
In a police log, it was revealed that “multiple people trampled, passed out in front of the stage,” and there were “unconscious persons in-crowd. Report of possible CPR.”
Besides Ezra, many were also badly injured during the event. Eight victims were declared dead on the spot, while 22-year-old college student Bharti Shahani was pronounced as the ninth death.
Together with nearly 100 other families, Treston has filed a civil suit against individuals and entities responsible for the music festival through civil rights attorney Ben Crump. The lawsuit was filed against Score More Mgmt, Live Nation Entertainment, Travis Scott, Cactus Jack Records, and other entities. Crump is officially representing over 200 individuals who have suffered physically, mentally, and emotionally due to the chaos.
“The Blount family tonight is grieving the incomprehensible loss of their precious young son. This should not have been the outcome of taking their son to a concert, what should have been a joyful celebration. Ezra’s death is absolutely heartbreaking,” shared the lawyer. “We are committed to seeking answers and justice for the Blount family. But tonight, we stand in solidarity with the family, in grief, and in prayer.”
Meanwhile, Live Nation Entertainment, the concert promoter that organized the event, said in an email statement, “We are heartbroken by this news, and our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends.” Live Nation Entertainment is also one of the defendants in the civil lawsuit filed by the Blount family.
