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Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo visited the memorial set up for the victims of the Astroworld Festival tragedy at NRG Park on Nov. 8, where she vowed to assist their grieving families.
On Nov. 5, Houston rapper Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival at NRG Park saw nine people killed and hundreds more injured in the crowd, according to the Houston Chronicle. Following the tragedy, Harris County released the names of all eight victims on Nov. 8, two of which were local high school students.
"Any loss of life is terrible. But these were young people...sons and daughters, nieces and nephews with bright futures ahead of them. I’m committed to doing anything I can to help their families get answers," said Judge Hidalgo in a tweet.
In an interview with Hidalgo, the Harris County Judge stated that an independent investigation should be conducted alongside the criminal and civil investigations that are already taking place, according to ABC13. She also voiced her concern regarding the rapper and the partnerships that were made and how they may have played a role in the tragedy.
"It's another question that we need to answer. One thing I asked, for example, was Live Nation. There was a history of violations. There's been a history of issues with Live Nation, so why work with them and the answer I've gotten is they're one of, if not, the largest player in this live entertainment scene. So, you just can't be involved without them," Hidalgo said, according to ABC13.
This is not the first incident of Astroworld causing problems. In 2019, during the festival's second year, fans recorded videos showing pandemonium when the guard fences were torn down, resulting in three people being injured, according to ABC13.
As many try to discern who was at fault for the tragedy, Harris County leaders have stated that the answers they seek regarding responsibility may take weeks to uncover, according to Houston Public Media.