Travis Scott bears responsibility for the tragedy that occurred at the Astroworld festival in Houston last week, according to the city’s fire chief, Samuel Pena.
Appearing on “Today” on Tuesday, Pena spoke with Savannah Guthrie about the horrific incident in which a massive crowd surged toward the stage during the concert, killing eight and injuring dozens more.
READ MORE: Travis Scott, Astroworld Organizers Sued Over ‘Predictable & Preventable Tragedy’
Asked point blank whether he believes Scott, who was performing at the time, should have called an end to the concert when he saw that there was an emergency incident taking place, Pena said, “Absolutely.”
“The artist has command of that crowd. In my opinion, and this is my opinion right now because everything is going to be fleshed out throughout this investigation, but certainly, the artist, if he notices something that’s going on, he can certainly pause that performance, turn on the lights and say, ‘Hey, we’re not going to continue until this thing is resolved.'”
READ MORE: Barriers, Crowd Control In Focus In Travis Scott Concert Deaths
Pena was also asked whether he believes Scott, who has previously pled guilty to charges in 2015 and 2017 over inciting incidents of fans rushing the stage, had incited the crowd in Houston.
“No, not at this point, I’m not prepared to say that,” Pena said. “I’m not prepared to say he was fully aware of what was going on.”
