Fire chief says Travis Scott ‘absolutely’ should have ended Astroworld show
Houston’s fire chief insisted Tuesday that Travis Scott “absolutely” should have stopped his deadly Astroworld show — suggesting there were clear warnings that it had turned tragic.
“Everybody at that event has a responsibility, starting from the artist on down,” Chief Samuel Pena told the “Today” show of the “Sicko Mode” rapper, who continued performing as eight died and hundreds were injured Friday night.
“The artist has command of that crowd … if he notices something going on, he can certainly pause that performance, turn on the lights and say, ‘Hey, we’re not going to continue until this thing is resolved,'” Pena said.
The fire chief noted now-viral moments that should have been clear warnings for the 30-year-old hometown rapper, who was being watched by girlfriend Kylie Jenner and their 3-year-old daughter, Stormi.
“There was evidence that the crowd itself was trying to approach some of their private security, security that was closer to that stage,” he said.
“At one point, there was an ambulance that was trying to make its way through the crowd,” he said of a sight Scott noted from the stage as he continued performing.
Still, the fire chief was “not prepared to say” that Scott “was fully aware of what was going on” with mass casualties among his fans, saying it would be part of what would be “fleshed out throughout this investigation.”
“All I’m saying is that everybody at that event, from the artist on down — security and everybody that’s there to provide public safety, including the crowds — we all have a responsibility,” he said.
“We really need to take a critical look at everything that went on there because we cannot have this happen again, here in the city or anywhere,” he said.
Scott has said he is “just devastated” and “could just never imagine the severity of the situation.”
“Anytime I could make out, you know, anything that’s going on, you know I stop the show and, you know, help them get the help they need,” he said.
Jenner — who is pregnant with the couple’s second child — also said her beau is “broken and devastated.”
“I want to make it clear that we weren’t aware of the fatalities until the news came out after the show and in no world would have continued filming or performing,” Jenner, 24, wrote in an Instagram Story.
