As victims recount their terrible experiences at the 2021 Astroworld Festival, they’ve earned sympathy from many, including a man who is forever scarred from attending the Travis Scott event four years ago.
As Rolling Stone reported, 27-year-old Kyle Green went to Astroworld Festival in 2017 when it was being held at Terminal 5 in Manhattan, New York. While at the “severely crowded” event, he was among a rowdy pack who allegedly forced him over the railing and onto the floor. He suffered several bones in his vertebrae, becoming paralyzed after the tragic incident. Six months later, he took legal action against Scott, his manager, a security company and promoter Bowery Presents.
In the 2017 suit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Green accused the defendants of recklessly removing him off the floor without taking safety precautions. Scott denied the claims and countersued the man, placing blame on the venue management and security guards for their handling of the fall.
After Green heard the news of the tragedy that went down at the Astroworld Festival on Friday, Nov. 5, he released a statement through his attorney Howard Hershenhorn, expressing that he was “devastated and heartbroken for the families of those who were killed and for those individuals who were severely injured.”
Green, who was in a wheelchair after the 2017 festival, “can actually walk now, but with significant, significant disability. He’s partially paralyzed still,” Hershenborn added before sharing his own thoughts on what led to eight fatalities and countless injuries after the event’s first night.
“His desire to rile up the crowd beyond hysterics, where people are pushing and shoving, has resulted in a massive catastrophe,” the attorney said of Scott. “It’s time for him to do some significant self-reflection.”
Scott has since addressed the incident on a few occasions. Aside from sending prayers to the families of fans who lost their lives, he promised to cover their funeral expenses and offer mental health resources to attendees of the event.