9-year-old boy trampled at Astroworld festival dies
Ezra Blount, a 9-year-old who was injured at the Astroworld music festival in Houston and later placed on life support, died Sunday, his family announced.
In a statement, attorney Ben Crump said the Blount family is "grieving the incomprehensible loss of their precious young son. This should not have been the outcome of taking their son to a concert, what should have been a joyful celebration. Ezra's death is absolutely heartbreaking. We are committed to seeking answers and justice for the Blount family."
Last week, Ezra's father, Treston Blount, told ABC 13 that his son was "so stoked" to attend Astroworld on Nov. 5, and was a huge fan of headliner and founder Travis Scott. While waiting for Scott to take the stage, Treston had Ezra on his shoulders, and they stayed toward the back of the crowd, believing it would be calmer. Treston told ABC 13 that as soon as Scott came out, people began pushing, and during the crowd surge, he lost consciousness. Ezra fell to the ground and was trampled.
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Treston said when he regained consciousness, Ezra was nowhere to be found. After checking the medical tents at the festival, he started driving from hospital to hospital, hoping to find his son. He filed a police report, and an officer showed him a picture of Ezra, saying he had been taken to a local hospital. When Treston arrived at the facility, he learned his son's major organs had been damaged, his brain was swollen, and he was on life support. "I'm not ready to lose my boy at all," Treston told ABC 13 during the interview last week. "We still got a bunch of living to do ... that's my boy."
The Astroworld death toll is now at 10. The Blount family and dozens of other victims have filed lawsuits against Scott, festival promoter Live Nation, and others, citing negligence and accusing Scott of encouraging violence.
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Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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