Kylie Jenner says she and Travis Scott are 'broken and devastated' as Astroworld victims are named
Travis Scott is continuing to speak out following the death of eight concert-goers and injuries of several more during a crowd surge at his Houston, Texas Astroworld concert on Friday.
The rapper, 30, spoke out on Saturday evening in a series of black-and-white Instagram Stories.
"I just want to send out prayers to the ones that was lost last night," Scott said to the camera, referencing those who died when the crowd of more than 50,000 reportedly began pushing toward the stage. "We're actually working right now to identify the families so we can help assist them through this tough time. My fans really mean the world to me, and I always just want to leave them with a positive experience, and anytime I can make out anything that's going on — stop the show and help them get the help they need... I just could never imagine the severity of the situation."
Scott continued, sharing some of the work that's being done to determine how the tragedy unfolded.
"We've been working closely with everyone just to get to the bottom of this," the Houston native added, expressing gratitude to his hometown and its police and fire departments. "If you have any information, please contact the local authorities."
Scott — born Jacques Webster II — repeatedly asked followers to keep those who were killed or injured in their prayers. "I'm honestly just devastated. I could never imagine anything like this," he said, pledging to keep followers updated and informed. He closed out his statement with, "Love you all."
As Yahoo previously reported, Scott posted a statement to his Twitter account earlier on Saturday, writing, “I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival. I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need.”
— TRAVIS SCOTT (@trvisXX) November 6, 2021
Scott's statements were echoed by his girlfriend Kylie Jenner, who was also in attendance at the concert on Friday and could be seen posting videos of the concert before she realized the crowd surge was happening.
"Travis and I are broken and devastated. My thoughts and prayers are with all who lost their lives, were injured or affected in any way by yesterday's events," Jenner wrote on Sunday in an Instagram Story. "And also for Travis who I know cares deeply for his fans and the Houston community."
Jenne, who is expecting her second child with Scott, also stated that she was unaware that any concert-goers had died during the show, only finding out about it after the show was over.
"I want to make it clear we weren't aware of any fatalities until the news came out after the show and in no world would have continued filming or performing," the reality star wrote, referencing social media backlash over the show not being stopped earlier, despite requests from attendees who recognized people were getting hurt.
She closed out her statement by saying, "I am sending my deepest condolences to all the families during this difficult time and will be praying for the healing of everyone who has been impacted."
In a news conference on Saturday, Houston Fire Chief Sam Pe?a explained how the incident accelerated.
"The crowd for whatever reason began to push and surge towards the front of the stage, which caused the people in the front to be compressed," Pe?a said. "They were unable to escape that situation."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said of the event, “What happened at Astroworld Festival last night was tragic, and our hearts are with those who lost their lives and those who were injured in the terrifying crowd surge."
As news of the tragedy continues to unfold, information on some of the victims who died, who ranged in age from 14 to 27, is being released. The youngest fatality was John Hilgert, 14, a ninth-grade student at Memorial High School in Northwest Houston, according to USA Today. Brianna Rodriguez, a 16-year-old student, from Heights High School in Houston, was also killed, along with Rodolfo Angel Pe?a, 23, an aspiring model and student who hoped to become a U.S. Border Patrol agent, and Franco Patino, 21, a mechanical engineering technology student..