Mourning starts as Houston officials probe concert deaths

HOUSTON – Investigators Sunday worked to find however 8 radical died successful a crush of fans astatine a Houston euphony festival, arsenic friends and loved ones mourned the victims and a makeshift memorial of flowers and candles took signifier astatine the site.

Authorities planned to usage videos, witnesser interviews and a reappraisal of performance procedures to fig retired what went incorrect Friday nighttime during a show by rapper Travis Scott. The calamity unfolded erstwhile the assemblage rushed the stage, squeezing radical truthful tightly they couldn't breathe.

Bouquets, votive candles, condolence notes and T-shirts, including a Scott shirt, were near extracurricular astatine NRG Park.

Michael Suarez, 26, came to the increasing memorial aft attending the concert.

”It’s precise devastating. No 1 wants to spot oregon perceive radical dying astatine a festival," Suarez said. "We were present to person a bully clip — a large clip — and it’s devastating to perceive idiosyncratic mislaid their lives.”

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The dead, according to friends and household members, included a 14-year-old precocious schoolhouse student; a 16-year-old miss who loved dancing; and a 21-year-old engineering pupil astatine the University of Dayton. The youngest was 14, the oldest 27.

Houston officials did not instantly merchandise the victims' names oregon the origin of death.

Thirteen radical remained hospitalized Sunday. Their conditions were not disclosed.

City officials said they were successful the aboriginal stages of investigating what caused the pandemonium astatine the sold-out Astroworld festival, an lawsuit founded by Scott. About 50,000 radical were there. Authorities said that among different things, they volition look astatine however the country astir the signifier was designed.

Contemporary Services Corp., headquartered successful Los Angeles, was liable for information unit astatine the festival, according to region records successful Texas. Representatives for the institution — which advertises online arsenic being “recognized worldwide arsenic the pioneer, adept and lone worker owned institution successful the assemblage absorption field” — did not instantly respond to emails and telephone messages seeking comment.

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One concertgoer said that arsenic a timer ticked down to the commencement of Scott’s show, held successful a fenced-off parking lot, the assemblage pushed forward. Screaming and panic ensued, and radical began passing out.

On video posted to societal media, Scott could beryllium seen stopping the performance astatine 1 constituent and asking for assistance for idiosyncratic successful the audience: “Security, idiosyncratic assistance existent quick.”

In a tweet posted Saturday, Scott said helium was “absolutely devastated by what took place." He pledged to enactment “together with the Houston assemblage to heal and enactment the families successful need.”

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Associated Press writers Ryan Pearson successful Los Angeles; Stan Choe successful New York; David Sharp successful Portland, Maine; and Desiree Seals successful Atlanta contributed to this report.

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A erstwhile mentation of this communicative was corrected to amusement Travis Scott is 30, not 29.

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