Family of Fort Worth man killed at Astroworld Festival sues Travis Scott, Live Nation
The family of a Fort Worth man, who was one of 10 people who died from injuries during and after the Astroworld Festival, is suing festival performer Travis Scott and promoter Live Nation.
Danish Baig, 27, was the oldest of the victims in the music festival crowd in Houston. He was killed less than two weeks before his 28th birthday, as he tried to save his fiancee, Olivia Swingle, who had fallen and was in danger of being trampled during a crowd surge. As the two tried to remove themselves from the crowd, they were separated. Baig sustained fatal injuries. His brother Basil Baig and Swingle were seriously hurt.
The lawsuit, represented by Dallas-based Lyons & Simmons LLP, argues that “the potential dangers presented by this type of venue and by Scott were well documented,” a news release from the firm said.
“Since 2015, Scott has twice been arrested for encouraging fans to bypass security measures and rush the stage. Several fans were injured during a stampede to get into his 2019 Astroworld event. Although the 2021 festival was sold out, the lawsuit points to social media posts by Scott encouraging non-ticket holders to ‘sneak in’ to the event.”
The attorneys added that organizers knew security had lost control of the crowd and allowed the show to continue.
“Each of the responsible parties pushed boundaries of common sense and turned their heads to the dangers, simply for profit,” attorney Michael Lyons said. “And when it was obvious they had lost complete control of the situation, instead of stopping the show, they made the decision to continue. That disregard resulted in one of the worst mass-casualty events at a concert in history. It’s a total disgrace.”
Aside from physical injuries, the lawsuit also made a claim on behalf of emotional distress, saying that Basil Baig and Swingle, “will spend the rest of their lives living in the memory of Danish fighting to save Olivia’s life before losing his own.”
“Olivia and Basil’s physical wounds may heal, but the Baigs and Olivia will never recover from the pain knowing their son, brother and partner suffered a death as violent as it is horrific.”
The family is seeking at least $1 million, claiming negligence and wrongful death. The lawsuit is one of many filed against the rapper and festival organizers, including a $2 billion lawsuit filed on behalf of over 280 attendees.
“Danish will always be remembered as a hero for his actions, but his loved ones want to make sure no one else’s loved one is ever killed in such a needless way simply by attending a concert,” said Chris Simmons, attorney and co-founder of Lyons & Simmons.
Recounting Nov. 5
As a video countdown began prior to Scott’s performance, the 50,000-person crowd began to push forward, according to the lawsuit filed in a Harris County court.
“Second by second, it became more difficult for Danish, Olivia and Basil to breathe as the surging crowd boxed them in,” the lawsuit read, adding as the crowd began to become more wild, the three feared for their safety and began trying to exit.
While they were trying to remove themselves from the crowd, Scott took the stage and “all hell broke loose.”
“In the developing chaos, Basil became separated from Danish and Olivia but knew Danish was trying to get Olivia to safety,” the filing said. The high school sweethearts tried to make their way out through the side of the crowd, but were redirected towards the back, which “turned out to be even more dangerous.”
The pair was soon separated. Swingle ended up falling to the ground and was stomped on, according to the court document.
“She believed she would die in the chaos,” it read. “As the music ebbed and flowed, Olivia could hear and see Danish on the ground screaming her name, reaching out to her. As Danish screamed Olivia’s name, Danish was literally being trampled to death.”
Chants to stop the show broke out as the performance continued. Swingle eventually was pulled to her feet, but continued to be pushed toward the back of the crowd.
“Eventually soaked in her own urine from urinating on herself in terror, Olivia broke free of the press of bodies and found a security guard. She pleaded with security to please go find Danish and stop the show. The show went on,” the lawsuit said.
Swingle was taken to a first-aid area, where she saw her boyfriend carried in a blanket by medical personnel.
“Medics were performing CPR on him in an effort to resuscitate him. Olivia, crippled with terror and emotion, was now watching the love of her life die in front of her,” the lawsuit said. “As she tried to move toward Danish to comfort his lifeless body, a security guard shoved her into a chair and strapped her to the chair.”
Swingle was denied into the ambulance as Baig was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, the suit says.
This story was originally published November 20, 2021 at 7:41 AM.
