Family of 9-Year-Old Injured at Astroworld Files Suit Against Travis Scott: 'Thought It Would Be Safe'
The family of Ezra Blount, who was "nearly crushed to death" at Astroworld Festival, has filed suit against Travis Scott and others, alleging their "grossly negligent conduct" contributed to the 9-year-old's life-threatening injuries.
The complaint, which was obtained by PEOPLE, says that Ezra was "kicked, stepped on, and trampled, and nearly crushed to death" on Friday in Houston, where he was attending Travis Scott's set with his father.
The child — who is identified only as E.B. in the suit — is currently in a medically induced coma as doctors attempt to alleviate trauma to his brain, liver and kidney.
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"To his young, growing body, these injuries will have life-long effects, impairing his quality of life and ability to grow and thrive as he would have had he not been subjected to this incident," according to the complaint.
The suit "alleges negligence in a great number of aspects, including crowd control, failure to provide proper medical attention, hiring, training, supervision and retention," according to a press release issued by personal injury attorney Ben Crump and co-counsels Alex and Bob Hilliard, who filed the suit on behalf of the family.
Erika Goldring/WireImage Travis Scott performs during 2021 Astroworld Festival
By filing in court, Crump claims independent experts commissioned by the Blount family's legal team will be able to access the roped-off crime scene at NRG Park, where some 50,000 fans were caught in a deadly crowd surge that killed eight and injured hundreds more, including Ezra.
Travis Scott, Live Nation Entertainment, Scoremore Mgmt and others are named as defendants, and are accused of failing to stop Scott's performance until more than 40 minutes after city officials said the "mass casualty event" had begun. The suit is seeking monetary relief of over $1 million "for the negligent and grossly negligent conduct" of the defendants. Scott's reps have not commented, while Scoremore did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Taylor Blount Treston and Ezra Blount
Live Nation said in a statement to PEOPLE that it will "continue to support and assist local authorities in their ongoing investigation so that both the fans who attended and their families can get the answers they want and deserve, and we will address all legal matters at the appropriate time."
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"The suffering that this family is going through is immeasurable. This little boy had his whole life ahead of him – a life that is currently hanging in the balance because of the reckless mismanagement that ensued at the Astroworld Festival," Crump said in a statement. "We ask everyone to send up the most powerful prayers they can as this family tries to grapple with the undoable damage that has been done to their son. We demand justice for EB, his family, and all of our clients that left Astroworld with trauma."
courtesy Taylor Blount Ezra Blount
Ezra's grandfather Bernon Blount told PEOPLE (The TV Show!) special correspondent Stephanie Bauer that Ezra and his father Treston often attended concerts together as a way to bond, and that they both loved Travis Scott.
"Once my son saw that the concert was going to happen here in Houston, he bought the tickets months ago," Blount said. "It came off as it was going to be a family event, so my son thought that it would be a safe venue for them to come and enjoy together and bond as father and son."
RELATED VIDEO: Houston Fire Chief Says Officials 'Need to Get to the Bottom of' Deadly Crowd Surge at Astroworld Festival
Treston recalled the night's events on a GoFundMe page for Ezra's medical bills, explaining that Ezra was on his shoulders when he began to be crushed until he couldn't breathe.
Treston eventually passed out and fell, and when he awoke, was unable to find his son, who had been taken to the hospital as a 10-year-old John Doe.
"He is a cool dude. He is just the funniest person," Ezra's aunt Taylor Blount told Bauer. "Just seeing that and knowing that he at least got to enjoy himself before this, it put a little warm spot in my heart because I love to see him happy and see him with his dad. I just can't imagine how it went left so quick."
RELATED: Astroworld Organizers Noted 'Ever-Present Threat' of 'Mass Casualty Situation' Months Ago: Report
She added that because Scott brought pregnant girlfriend Kylie Jenner and their 3-year-old daughter Stormi to his shows, Treston believed they would be safe for children to attend.
Casualties of the event are Jacob Jurinek, 21; John Hilgert, 14; Brianna Rodriguez, 16; Franco Pati?o, 21; Axel Acosta, 21; Rudy Pe?a, 23; Madison Dubiski, 23; and Danish Baig, 27.
