Chief Finner Held Astroworld Safety Brief With Travis Scott: HPD

HOUSTON, TX — Houston Police Chief Troy Finner met briefly with Astroworld headliner and organizer Travis Scott and his head of security Friday prior to the main event to express concerns about public safety, Finner said in a statement Monday.

Hours later, a crowd surge while Scott was performing at Astroworld Festival in Houston killed eight people.

"I asked Travis Scott and his team to work with HPD for all events over the weekend and to be mindful of his team's social media messaging on any unscheduled events," Finner said in the statement. "The meeting was brief and respectful and a chance for me to share my public safety concerns."

An investigation into the incident will likely take weeks, according to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.

The investigation will look into key causes of the surge, including barriers and crowd control, officials said at a news conference Saturday.

The process "could take weeks, maybe longer," Turner said, and the Houston Police Department tweeted Sunday that the "investigation into [Astroworld Festival] remains very active and in its early stages."

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Astroworld Festival drew a crowd of roughly 50,000 to NRG Park in southwest Houston, and a surge that occurred roughly around the time Scott, a rapper from Houston, took the stage caused the crowd to compress, resulting in hundreds being injured and 25 taken to the hospital, according to authorities.

The investigation will focus on what caused the crowd surge toward the stage, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said.

Scott performed for about 37 minutes after Houston police and fire officials responded to the incident, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle.

Concert organizer Live Nation and Astroworld developed a security plan with the city of Houston and Harris County's NRG Park, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said, adding that the investigation would determine whether the plans were inadequate or not followed or if it was something else entirely.

"The families of those who died and everyone affected deserve answers," Hidalgo said.

Hidalgo added that after a breach incident at Astroworld 2019, improved fencing, more robust barricades and more security personnel were added to the festival.

"I want to know, and the community wants to know if more needed to be done," Hidalgo said.

Live Nation is cooperating with the investigation and will turn over video from the concert for authorities to review, Finner said. Finner also made a request for concert attendees with video to send the footage to HPD for investigation.

Finner addressed rumors of a person injecting people with drugs at the concert. A security officer felt a prick in his neck while trying to restrain someone and was treated with Narcan, which is used to treat overdoses, after he fell unconscious. The security officer had a prick similar to an injection, Finner said.

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