Samuel and Jackson Bush, two security guards who worked at Travis Scott‘s Astroworld Festival, have filed a lawsuit over the event’s tragedy.
According to reports, the uncle and nephew’s lawsuit names a total of 28 people and corporations including Scott, Cactus Jack Records, Live Nation, ScoreMore, NRG Park and security companies Contemporary Services Corp and AJ Melino & Associates, the latter of which hired the two for the festival. The suit alleges that AJ Melino & Associations “took very few measures to prepare its contracted employees for the chaos that ensued,” noting that the security company failed to do background checks to make sure the contracted guards had the necessary qualifications, did not hold any training sessions for the jobs and did not supply walkie-talkies, preventing them to communicate with their superiors during the crowd surge.
Jackson adds that the only piece of instruction they were given beforehand was to show up at the event in black. “For the most part, they told us where to stand, not to let people run in, and to be safe and not to put our hands on anybody,” he said in a press conference. “There was no training.”
In addition, Jackson and Samuel claim that they have not gotten paid for their work. “You’d think it’d take more than signing your name,” their lawyer, Larry Taylor, said. “It was as simple as you and I walking on the other side of this gate.”
Darius Williams, another security guard hired by by Contemporary Services Corporation, also told Rolling Stone that the security company “rushed to get workers” and did not check if they were even qualified. “If you look at my resume, I only have hospitality and retail experience,” Williams, who left his post before Scott’s set for his own safety, explained. “It felt like they just needed bodies, like they were hiring anyone who passed a background test.”
Elsewhere in music, the Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert with Ye and Drake is set to take place in December.
