Concert turned tragedy

Almost everyone has been to some form of concert in their lives. The rush and excitement of waiting to see a favorite artist or band is exhilarating. This must have need the tome for many people going to Travis Scott at Astroworld but the concert quickly turned into a nightmare.

Before Scott took to the stage there were too many people in attendance on the grounds. People were jumping barricades and getting in without wristbands. As soon as Travis began to sing a crowd surge began, pushing people forward and leaving little room to move let alone breath. People were being trampled and fought for their lives to get out of the crowd as people continues to push toward the stage.

Travis Scott has a history of encouraging chaos and so-called “ragers” at his concerts. At one point during the concert, he stated that he could see the crowd all the way in the back, so from his point of view, he should have been able to see what was happening. In photos and videos posted to Kylie Jenner’s Instagram stories, an ambulance was clearly visible to Scott while he continued singing. There were also unconscious—or possibly worse—individuals being crowd-surfed in an attempt to get them medical assistance, all within Travis Scott’s line of vision.

Why didn’t he acknowledge this or stop the concert to ensure these people received the care they needed? Reports state that concert workers, cameramen, and others were alerted to the hysteria, yet nothing was done. At one point, the festival’s promoter, Live Nation, reportedly agreed to cut the show short once things took a turn for the worse, yet the concert continued.

When something like this happens, one has to wonder: was the value of human life ever on anyone’s mind? Why weren’t more people helping instead of continuing to push forward? Why wasn’t the concert stopped immediately?

We live in a very “me first” society, where people are often more concerned with their own self-interests and promotions rather than helping others. It appears that concert workers, attendees, and Travis Scott himself did not place enough value on lives beyond their own on this tragic night.