Travis Scott, the rapper and producer behind the ill-fated 2021 Astroworld Festival, will not face criminal charges in connection with the tragic crowd crush that resulted in the deaths of 10 people and injured numerous others, according to District Attorney Kim Ogg. The decision was made by a grand jury, which also chose not to indict other individuals involved in the festival's organization, including chief of security John Junnell and festival director Brett Silberstein.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences determined that the victims died of "compression asphyxia," with the youngest victim being just nine years old. Several lawsuits have been filed against Scott and other organizers, including Live Nation, the entertainment company involved. The defendants have denied allegations of negligence in the planning and promotion of the festival, asserting that they were not responsible for the deaths.

Travis Scott's spokesperson, Ted Anastasiou, expressed relief at the grand jury's decision, emphasizing that Scott had halted the show multiple times and was unaware of the unfolding events. Anastasiou called for future efforts to prevent similar tragedies from occurring again.

Scott's attorney, Kent Schaffer, delivered the news to Scott, who was abroad for a concert. Schaffer stated that his client was overjoyed and felt a tremendous weight lifted from his shoulders. The grand jury met for six hours, during which homicide detectives provided testimony.

Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner announced that the department would release the full details of the criminal offense in the coming weeks.

The Astroworld tragedy occurred when the concert descended into chaos, resulting in the deaths of 10 individuals as concertgoers were crushed near the stage during Travis Scott's performance. Authorities declared the incident a "mass casualty event." At the time, it was uncertain what Scott witnessed from the stage or if he was aware of the conditions in the crowd. He continued performing for nearly an hour after injuries were reported but was not informed of the mass casualty declaration until the following morning, according to his lawyer.

Prior to the fatal incident, there were reports of unruly behavior and a few injured attendees taken to the hospital. These earlier incidents contributed to the crowded conditions, as large numbers of concertgoers gathered near Scott's main stage in anticipation of his show, explained Houston Police Department's lead homicide investigator, Mike Barrow, during a press conference.