"He felt a prick on his neck": Astroworld Festival officials investigate drug theories

Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival 2021 continues to make headlines after turning into an unexpected tragedy. The sold-out concert left eight people dead and more than 300 injured following a stampede at Houston’s NRG Park.

An initial investigation revealed that the incident took place due to a sudden crowd surge on Friday night. Houston Fire chief Samuel Pena mentioned that attendees panicked after the crowd started “compressing” towards the front stage, causing injuries and leaving many unconscious due to hyperventilation and suffocation.

As per the latest reports, officials investigating the scene are now suspecting the involvement of drugs in the “mass incident of casualty.” Houston police chief Troy Finner revealed that one of the securities was injected with some form of substance at the venue:

“One of the narratives was that some individual was injecting other people with drugs. We do have a report of a security officer, according to the medical staff that was out and treated him last night. He was reaching over to restrain or grab a citizen and he felt a prick in his neck.”

Although detailed information about the form of the substance has not been revealed, the officer was treated with Narcan, mostly used to resuscitate opioid overdose:

“He went unconscious, they administered Narcan. He was revived, and medical staff did notice a prick similar to a prick you would get if somebody was trying to inject.”

So far, it has not been revealed if any attendees were injected with the substance. However, the narcotics department is actively investigating the scene.

Nearly 25 people were hospitalized, of which 11 underwent cardiac arrest, and five were minors. Victims who lost their lives were aged between 14 and 27. Four people have been discharged so far.

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Twitter reacts to suspicion of drug involvement in Astroworld Festival

Travis Scott's Houston concert casualties left netizens enraged (Image via Getty Images)

The tragedy at Travis Scott’s Houston concert has left fans and concertgoers across the globe in shock. People have continued to mourn the loss of innocent lives and pray for the victims affected in the stampede.

The incident also left social media users enraged, as many blamed authorities for mismanagement. Several slammed the management for failing to handle the crisis and also called out Travis Scott for allegedly continuing his performance while distress unfolded in the crowd.

Recent revelations about suspected involvement of drugs caused further outrage on social media. Netizens took to Twitter to criticize the event further:

Meanwhile, Travis Scott issued an official statement saying he was “absolutely devastated” over the tragic incident. He also pledged to co-operate with the Houston Police Department regarding the investigation and support families affected by the situation.