米音楽フェス惨事、負傷者が人気ラッパー提訴　「混乱扇動した」

【ＡＦＰ＝時事】米テキサス州ヒューストンで開催された音楽イベントで観客がステージ前に殺到し、８人が死亡、数十人が負傷した事故で、負傷した男性が、当時出演中だったラップ歌手のトラヴィス・スコットさんとドレイクさんを相手取って訴訟を起こしたことが分かった。原告側は「大混乱を扇動した」と主張している。（写真はトラヴィス・スコットさん（左）とドレイクさん）
　テキサス州のトーマス・Ｊ・ヘンリー法律事務所が７日、メディア報道を事実と認め、「トラヴィス・スコット・アストロワールド・フェスティバルの惨事をめぐる初の訴訟の一つ」を起こしたことをツイッターで明らかにした。
　原告のクリスチャン・パレデスさん（２３）はテキサス州在住で、１１月５日夜のイベントで「重傷を負った」という。パレデスさんは、イベント主催者のライブネーション・エンターテインメントとＮＲＧパークも訴えている。
　事故当時、会場のＮＲＧパークには約５万人の観客が集まっており、スコットさんのパフォーマンスが始まるとステージ前に押し寄せ、大混乱になった。
　ハリス郡地方裁判所に提出された訴状によると、一般入場者向けエリアの前列にいたパレデスさんは、スコットさんがステージに上がってすぐに後ろから押された。「たくさんの人が、ライブネーション・エンターテインメントに雇われた警備員に助けを求めたが、無視された」としている。
　訴状は、スコットさんは「これまでにもイベントで大混乱を扇動したことがある」とし、主催者や会場は「（スコットさんの）過去の振る舞いを知っていたはずであり、さもなければ知っておくべきだった」と主張している。
　また、訴状はスコットさんとステージで共演したカナダ人ラップ歌手のドレイクさんも、観客をあおってステージに押し寄せる原因をつくったと主張。「観客が制御不能になった」後も「大混乱が続く中」でパフォーマンスを続けたとドレイクさんを非難している。
　警官に暴行され死亡した黒人男性ジョージ・フロイドさん遺族の代理人を務めた弁護士、ベン・クランプ氏も７日、スコットさんとイベント運営を提訴したと発表した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/11/08-16:50）

Rappers Travis Scott and Drake have been sued for having incited mayhem after eight people were killed and dozens injured in a crush during a Texas concert, the law firm confirmed on Sunday.
Texas firm Thomas J. Henry Law on Sunday tweeted a story published by the Daily Mail on the suit, confirming it had filed one of the first lawsuits in Travis Scott Astroworld Festival tragedy.
The plaintiff is 23-year-old concertgoer Kristian Paredes, who was one of those severely injured at the concert on the night of November 5.
Around 50,000 people were in the audience at Houston's NRG Park when the crowd started pushing toward the stage as Scott was performing, triggering chaotic scenes.
Texas-resident Paredes, who is also suing concert organizers Live Nation and the venue, felt an immediate push at the front of the general admission section as Travis Scott got on stage, the complaint said.
The crowd became chaotic and a stampede began, it went on.
Many begged security guards hired by Live Nation Entertainment for help, but were ignored.
The suit, filed in Houston's Harris County court, claims Scott had incited mayhem and chaos at prior events and that defendants knew or should have known of (Scott's) prior conduct.
The suit also accuses Canadian rap superstar Drake, who joined Scott's headline set, of contributing to causing the surge toward the stage.
As Drake came onstage alongside of Travis Scott he helped incite the crowd even though he knew of Travis Scott's prior conduct, the complaint charges.
He continued to perform even as the crowd became out of control and the crowd mayhem continued, it added.
- Struggle to breathe -
High-profile attorney Ben Crump announced Sunday he had also filed suit against Scott and Astroworld.
Crump specializes in civil rights and personal injury, and has represented clients including the families of victims of police violence George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
He and co-counsel Bob Hilliard filed suit Sunday on behalf of 21-year-old concertgoer Noah Gutierrez, who described a scene of chaos and desperation.
The lawyers said they expected to file suit on behalf of other concertgoers during the week.
We are hearing horrific accounts of the terror and helplessness people experienced -- the horror of a crushing crowd and the awful trauma of watching people die while trying unsuccessfully to save them, Crump and Hilliard said in the statement.
We urge others who suffered physical or emotional injury or witnessed the events of that day to contact us.
Survivors of the incident described chaotic scenes of people squeezed up against one another, with many struggling to breathe.
Scott, who launched the Astroworld music festival in 2018, reportedly halted his act several times when he saw fans in distress near the stage.
Authorities in Texas have opened a criminal investigation into the tragedy, involving both homicide and narcotics detectives, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner told reporters on Saturday.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said authorities were looking at video footage and talking to witnesses, concert organizers and people who were hospitalized.
He told reporters on Saturday that the eight people killed were aged from 14 to 27, with one person's age unknown.
The chaos also resulted in 25 people being transported to the hospital and more than 300 people being treated on the scene for minor injuries.