3 Remain In Critical Condition From Astroworld Tragedy: Mayor

HOUSTON, TX — Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced at the Houston City Council meeting Wednesday three people were still in critical condition in the aftermath of the Astroworld Festival tragedy that killed eight people and hospitalized 25 on Friday.

Turner did not provide specific updates on the three remaining patients in critical condition.

"Our hearts are very, very heavy this morning," Turner said in his opening remarks on the festival at the meeting. "We want to pray for those three and their families because not one of us is in their shoes. ... First and foremost, let's lift these families up. That's priority number one ... to provide them whatever encouragement we can provide them, to be respectful of their space and their wishes."

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Ezra Blount, a 9-year-old boy, is in a medically induced coma in a Houston hospital after being separated from his father during the crowd surge at the concert, Ezra's grandfather, Bernon Blount, told the Associated Press.

A GoFundMe for Ezra has raised over $44,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Bharti Shahani, a 22-year-old senior at Texas A&M University, is on a ventilator in a Houston hospital and showing no brain activity, according to a report from ABC13.

Shahani suffered multiple heart attacks after being separated from her sister, Namrata Shahani, and her cousin, Mohit Bellani. A GoFundMe set up by Namrata Shahani has raised over $41,000.

"Once one person fell, people started toppling like dominos. It was like a sinkhole. People were falling on top of each other," Bellani told ABC13. "There were like layers of bodies on the ground, like two people thick. We were fighting to come up to the top and breathe to stay alive."

The ultimate authority to end the concert rested with the promoters and entertainers, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said at a news conference Wednesday, adding that the event was sanctioned by Harris County, not the city of Houston.

The concert was staffed by 530 Houston Police Department officers, and Finner met with performing artist and promoter Travis Scott before the event to voice potential safety concerns, Finner said.

The investigation is ongoing and could take weeks or months, according to Finner, who expressed confidence in HPD's investigation when asked about the necessity of an outside investigation.

Police located the guard who they heard was pricked in the neck, and he told them he was not injected but hit in the head, Finner said.

Also Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the Texas Task Force on Concert Safety, which will discuss and analyze concert safety and develop ways to enhance security at live music events.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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