Astroworld Festival: Travis Scott's concert stage, kept up for investigators, starts to come down

Thursday, December 16, 2021
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Astroworld Festival stage at Houston's NRG Park, which has remained in place since the crowd surge that killed 10 concertgoers during rapper Travis Scott's performance on Nov. 5, started to come down Wednesday.

In the 40 days since tens of thousands of people crushed into the relatively small space for Scott's third Astroworld music fest in his hometown, investigators, both with various law enforcement agencies and attorneys representing victims, have collected and photographed evidence at the venue, necessitating the stage setup to remain in place.

On Wednesday, SkyEye captured crewmembers on heavy machinery disconnecting light fixtures and wiring.

Civil attorneys involved in various lawsuits told ABC13 that they are not surprised the stage has been dismantled. Most have already taken a number of photos and videos. Sources say attorneys' access to the site ended more than a week ago.

NRG Park, which is expected to return the stage area to an open parking lot, did not comment on Wednesday's activities.

Houston police said there were no updates on the criminal side of the investigation. In addition, there are still no official causes of death on the victims.

On the civil side, about 300 lawsuits have been filed. Civil litigation can often drag on for years.

In the last week, Scott has said in an interview conducted more than a month after the tragedy that he never heard screams for help while on stage. He has insisted that he would have stopped the show had he had a sense that people were in danger.

SEE MORE: Travis Scott tells Charlamagne Tha God that he never heard fans' screams for help
Travis Scott says he never heard fans' screams for help


This is despite him during the show pointing out at an ambulance trying to make it through the crowd, a moment captured during the Apple Music live stream of his performance.

Lawyers for the victims have expressed in the aftermath disappointment at Scott for being unapologetic and evading accountability.

SEE MORE: Astroworld Aftermath - What really happened at Travis Scott's Houston festival
Astroworld Aftermath


Lawyers had sought to combine nearly 300 lawsuits filed against Scott and other parties for the tragedy.

Eight people died at the venue. Two others, including a Texas A&M senior and the youngest victim - a 9-year-old boy, died at hospitals in the days after.

We're following the latest developments in the Astroworld aftermath. Get updates from Miya Shay on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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