The last remaining wrongful death lawsuit filed after the tragic crowd crush at the 2021 Astroworld music festival, which claimed the lives of 10 people, has been settled, according to an attorney on Thursday.
The lawsuit, filed by the family of 9-year-old Ezra Blount, the youngest victim of the incident, was set to begin jury selection on Sept. 10.
S. Scott West, the attorney representing Blount’s family, confirmed that a settlement was reached earlier this week. The family had sued rapper Travis Scott, the festival’s promoter Live Nation, and other companies and individuals connected to the event, including Apple Inc., which livestreamed the concert.
Treston Blount, Ezra’s father, recounted that during the Nov. 5, 2021, concert, his son was sitting on his shoulders when they were crushed by the crowd. Treston lost consciousness, and when he came to, Ezra was missing. After a frantic search, Ezra was found at a Houston hospital, severely injured. The boy, who was from Dallas, passed away several days later.
The settlement of the Blount family’s lawsuit marks the resolution of all 10 wrongful death civil suits filed after the deadly concert. The terms of the settlements in all the lawsuits remain confidential.
However, approximately 2,400 injury cases filed after the Astroworld crowd crush are still pending. In total, more than 4,000 plaintiffs filed hundreds of lawsuits in connection with the tragic event.
During the crowd crush, attendees were packed so tightly that many could not breathe or move their arms. The victims, ranging in age from 9 to 27, died from compression asphyxia, which an expert likened to being crushed by a car.
State District Judge Kristen Hawkins, who is presiding over the litigation, had scheduled the first trial related to the injury cases for Oct. 15, focusing on seven injury cases. It remains unclear if that trial date will be maintained or moved up following the settlement of the Blount lawsuit.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs have alleged in court filings that negligent planning and a lack of concern over capacity and safety at the event led to the deaths and hundreds of injuries.
In contrast, Scott, Live Nation, and the other defendants have denied these claims, asserting that safety was their top priority and that the incident could not have been foreseen.
A grand jury declined to indict Scott and five others connected to the festival last year after a police investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.