Who was John Hilgert? Family of Astroworld festival tragedy victim settles lawsuit against Travis Scott and organizers
AUSTIN, TEXAS: The family of one of the victims of the Astroworld tragedy has settled the case with Travis Scott through an out-of-court settlement on Friday, August 4. The family of 14-year-old John Hilgert reached an agreement with the rapper, Live Nation and other festival organizers. They had sued the rapper in February for $1M.
Hilgert's parents, Chris and Nichole, sued Scott, event organizer Live Nation Worldwide and others for “gross negligence” and “reckless disregard," according to People. Chris said in a statement, “The pain of our loss from our son John not making it home alive from an event such as this is intolerable," adding, "He was a beautiful young man who simply wanted to enjoy his first concert event with friends, whom he treasured spending time with more than anything else."
Who was John Hilgert?
Hilgert, a 14-year-old high school freshman, was among the youngest of the eight victims who died during the Atroworld Festival in 2021. After news of Hilgert's death was made public, his baseball coach, Justin Higgs, wrote a touching tribute to the young boy alongside a set of photographs and videos. He wrote, "He was one of the nicest human beings I've ever met. John was an Angel the whole time I knew him… impacting others for good and he himself was a legend. The legend of John. Will meet again John. Till then watch over us, my friend. Catcher, pitcher, shortstop, great kid. Lived his life to the fullest."
A grand jury, following a review in June, chose not to recommend any charges related to the incident, during which 10 people lost their lives and hundreds more were injured. The 1,266-page police report provided a comprehensive account of the tragedy, revealing details of the crowd crush that occurred at the concert at the NRG Stadium on November 5, 2021.
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The families of the Axel Acosta, 21, and Brianna Rodriguez, 16, who were among those killed in the incident, have also settled their cases for undisclosed amounts. However, Scott, Live Nation, and several other companies involved in the event continue to face lawsuits.
Travis Scott and team slammed by victim's family
Scott and one of his attorneys, faced criticism for suggesting that the release of a Houston Police Department report on the same day as the release of his new album 'Utopia' was an intentional attempt to harm record sales. Bob Hilliard, the lawyer representing the family of nine-year-old victim Ezra Blount, said, "For an artist making his living with music, these are stunningly tone-deaf comments about this preventable tragedy that took so many lives and injured so many."
Hilliard further said, "This extremely detailed and damning report confirms both the negligence and extreme gross negligence of those involved, including the Travis Scott team, For Mr. Scott to allow his lawyers and spokespeople to make the reckless and untrue statement that just because he was not indicted means he’s blame-free is arrogant and insulting to the memory of 10-year-old Ezra as well as the other victims of this terrible night," per the Daily Mail.
Scott has continued to promote his latest release, with plans to perform tracks from 'Utopia' at Rome's Circus Maximus on Monday, August 7. The event is generating significant attention, as Circus Maximus, once the largest chariot racing tracks during the time of the Roman Empire, holds historical significance. One of the tracks on his new album is also titled 'Circus Maximus'. Travis announced ticket sales for the concert on Instagram.
It was reported earlier that he was going to perform at the Giza pyramids but the concert was cancelled due to "complex production issues."