The latest on the deadly Astroworld crowd surge

At least eight people were killed and many others injured after a crowd surged forward while rapper Travis Scott was on stage at the Astroworld Festival in Houston on Friday night.

The incident occurred when the crowd surged toward the stage, crushing those at the front who were unable to escape, local fire chief Sam Peña told CNN Saturday morning. That sparked panic, and the situation worsened and overwhelmed security personnel there, he said.

Scott is a 30-year-old US rapper, singer and record producer from Houston, Texas. He is best known for his 2018 album "Astroworld" – which the festival is named after.

Scott had previously been charged in connection with crowd mayhem:

On May 14, 2017, the Rogers Police Department in Arkansas posted on Facebook:

In 2018, Scott pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and the other charges were dismissed, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. 

CNN has reached out to the attorney who represented Scott in the case for more information.

Eric Daniels, who attended Astroworld with his son on Friday, gave a detailed account of the "pure chaos" he watched unfold in the crowds below him, saying he believes he witnessed a number of deaths that night.

Daniels said he and his son were enjoying the concert on a platform, elevated about six feet above general admission, when they witnessed the first unconscious person in the crowd below about 15 minutes after the music began.

"We saw four, five limp bodies... my son and I both witnessed three or four people being administered CPR," said Daniels.

Despite the chaos in the crowd and repeated chants of "stop the show," Daniels said the music continued, creating a strange soundtrack to the tragedy which killed at least eight people and injured dozens more Friday evening.

"It was... heartbreaking and tragic for everyone in that area," he said. "...You could see the fear in their eyes because they wanted to escape from that situation."

Read more about how the night unfolded here.

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Piña said Travis Scott had a responsibility for the safety of the crowd at his Astroworld Festival, and that he believes if Scott had ended his performance sooner, it may have calmed the crowd.

“If the lights would have been turned on – [if] the promoter or artist called for that – it would have chilled the crowd, and who knows? Who knows what the outcome would have been? But everybody in that venue, starting from the artist on down, has a responsibility for public safety,” Piña told CNN’s Jake Tapper Monday.

Police are in the early stages of a criminal investigation after a crowd surge at a Houston music festival on Friday left eight people dead and scores more injured, with at least two fighting for their lives in critical condition. The dead ranged in age from 14 to 27.

The Fire chief told CNN that the Houston Fire Department had proactively prepositioned units at the event based on their experience with other large events including the 2019 Astroworld Festival. 

Concertgoers described the event as traumatizing, with many witnesses saying they saw lifeless bodies being trampled amidst the chaos. Those who survived had to fight their way out of the crowd as the music raged on.

Read more about how events unfolded that night here.

It could take up to several weeks before we know the cause of death for the eight people who died at Houston’s Astroworld Festival, says Michele Arnold, a spokesperson for the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office. 

On Monday, the medical examiner’s office released the names of the eight victims who died at the concert but did not include the causes of death. 

The families of the victims have been notified, the release showed. 

Some background: Police are in the early stages of a criminal investigation after a crowd surge at a Houston music festival on Friday left eight people dead and scores more injured, with at least two fighting for their lives in critical condition. The dead ranged in age from 14 to 27.

Concertgoers described the event as traumatizing, with many witnesses saying they saw lifeless bodies being trampled amidst the chaos. Those who survived had to fight their way out of the crowd as the music raged on.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner met with rapper Travis Scott “for a few moments last Friday prior to the main event,” a tweet says. 

Finner said he “expressed my concerns regarding public safety” adding that “in my 31 years of law enforcement experience I have never seen a time with more challenges facing citizens of all ages, to include a global pandemic and social tension throughout the nation.”

Finner said Scott’s head of security was also at the meeting. 

“The meeting was brief and respectful,” the tweet said. 

The chief said the investigation continues. He is asking the community “to be considerate of the grieving families” and to “lift them up in prayer.” 

Entertainment company Live Nation said the Astroworld Festival team has been working with authorities over the weekend, according to a statement released on Twitter on Monday.

The statement goes on to say that staff has met with local authorities and that they have provided them with CCTV video, adding that all loadout work on the site has been paused to allow for investigators to “walk and document the grounds," and that refunds will be given to all those who purchased tickets, which CNN previously reported.  

Live Nation also said in the statement that they are “working on ways to support attendees, the families of victims, and staff” by providing mental health counseling and will help with hospital costs.  

“Our entire team is mourning alongside the community,” the statement said.  

A detailed operations plan for the Astroworld music festival in Houston did not include a specific contingency for a surging crowd incident despite three people being trampled and hospitalized at the same festival in 2019.

In a 56-page document obtained by CNN, concert organizers addressed broad concerns about the sold-out, two-day event headlined by rapper Travis Scott.

“Based on the site’s layout and numerous past experiences, a Security Plan has been established to help mitigate potential negative issues within the scope of the festival,” the document states. “The potential for multiple alcohol/drug related incidents, possible evacuation needs, and the ever-present threat of a mass casualty situation are identified as key concerns.”

Among the scenarios addressed in the plan are incidents involving an active shooter, severe weather, and a possible riot or civil unrest.

Addressing concerns of a large crowd, the plan outlines “the key in properly dealing with this type of scenario is proper management of the crowd from the minute the doors open.” And adds, “Crowd management techniques will be employed to identify potentially dangerous crowd behavior in its early stages in an effort to prevent a civil disturbance/riot.” Those techniques are not further specified in the plan.

In November 2019, three people were trampled and hospitalized as thousands rushed to get into the Astroworld Festival. They were all sent to the hospital with leg injuries, and the event continued as planned.

In another section, the plan details actions to be taken in case of an incident involving fatalities. According to the plan, concert organizers advise staff to notify Event Control using the code “smurf” for a suspected deceased victim. “Never use the term ‘dead’ or ‘deceased’ over the radio,” the plan states.

Furthermore, the plan lays out a clear chain of command in case of an incident, identifying the role of the executive producer as well as the festival director as the only individuals with the authority to stop the concert. 

Washington resident Axel Acosta is among the eight people who died at the Astroworld Festival on Friday night, according to his family and university.

Acosta is from Tieton, Washington, and just turned 21 in October, his brother Joel Acosta told CNN. 

He was a junior at Western Washington University and had an interest in computer science, the university said. 

According to Acosta’s brother, they last heard from him around 5 p.m. on Friday.  

On Saturday, the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office released a photo of Acosta and asked the public for help identifying the body. 

He was at the event alone, his aunt Cynthia Acosta told CNN affiliate KTRK.

Travis Scott will cover all funeral costs for the eight victims who died at his Astroworld Festival on Friday, according to a statement released Monday by a representative for the rapper. 

The Houston-born artist will also partner with BetterHelp to provide free mental health services to all those affected by the tragedy, the statement said.