Just moments before rap superstar Travis Scott took the stage at the deadly 2021 Astroworld festival, a contract worker had expressed concerns about potential dangers and warned that someone might end up dead, according to a police report released on Friday. The report includes various examples of safety issues and warnings from festival workers. The outdoor festival in Houston resulted in the deaths of 10 attendees due to compression asphyxia. The crowd surge occurred as approximately 50,000 people attended the event.
In a text message to Shawna Boardman, a private security director, security contract worker Reece Wheeler stated, “Pull tons over the rail unconscious. There’s panic in people’s eyes. This could get worse quickly. I know they’ll try to fight through it, but I would want it on the record that I didn’t advise this to continue. Someone’s going to end up dead.” Despite these concerns, Scott’s concert began and multiple requests to stop the show could be heard throughout the event.
During police interviews, Scott stated that he did not see any serious problems and did not hear the crowd urging him to stop the show. Drake, who performed with Scott, also mentioned the difficulty of observing the crowd from the stage and claimed he did not hear pleas from concertgoers. Various witnesses mentioned that they had chanted for the show to end, but staff members did not respond or take action.
The police report also detailed the chaos and lack of organization before the concert, with retired police officer Richard Rickeada stating that his concerns and questions were met with indifference. Throughout the event, reports of injured and deceased individuals emerged, and former EMT Daniel Johary mentioned that hundreds of people were chanting for Scott to stop the music.
Overall, the police report provides insight into the safety concerns and warnings expressed by festival workers and attendees before and during the Deadly Astroworld festival.