A security worker’s warning about the crowd surge highlighted ongoing concerns before the tragic event
Just before Travis Scott took the stage at the 2021 Astroworld Festival in Houston, a security worker sent alarming messages to an event organizer, expressing concerns about the crowd conditions. Reece Wheeler, a contract worker for the event, texted Shawna Boardman, a private security director, saying, “Someone’s going to end up dead” after witnessing the dangerous situation unfolding in the crowd.
These messages were part of a police report released on July 28, 2023, which also included transcripts from 911 calls and interviews with concertgoers and festival workers. The report painted a picture of the chaotic and unsafe environment leading up to the crowd surge that claimed the lives of 10 attendees, ranging in age from 9 to 27, during the November 2021 event.
The tragedy occurred when a surge of people in the tightly packed crowd led to compression asphyxia, the cause of death for the victims, which experts likened to being crushed by a car. With approximately 50,000 people in attendance, the conditions quickly escalated into panic as concertgoers struggled to breathe and move. Wheeler’s early warning highlighted the growing concerns among the event staff, but the situation was not addressed in time to prevent the disaster.
Wheeler’s text to Boardman emphasized his concern about the increasing danger, stating that while efforts would be made to control the crowd, he did not advise continuing with the event in such conditions. Despite these warnings, the concert proceeded, and the tragedy unfolded shortly after.
The release of the police report provides further insight into the series of miscommunications and inadequate crowd management practices that contributed to the deadly incident. While no criminal charges have been filed against Travis Scott, the report raises critical questions about the event’s safety protocols and the responsibility of organizers and performers in ensuring crowd safety.
In the aftermath, both the victims’ families and the public have called for accountability, with many questioning the failure to heed multiple warnings about the escalating risks before the deadly surge.
