Long Nguyen
9-Year-Old Boy Injured at Astroworld Dies
The death toll from Astroworld now stands at 10.
A 9-year-old boy, Ezra Blount, died Sunday (Nov. 14) from injuries his family believes he sustained after being trampled at the Houston festival. Blount had been in a medically-induced coma after suffering brain, liver, and kidney trauma.
“The Blount family tonight is grieving the incomprehensible loss of their precious young son,” said family attorney Ben Crump. “This should not have been the outcome of taking their son to a concert, what should have been a joyful celebration. Ezra’s death is absolutely heartbreaking. We are committed to seeking answers and justice for the Blount family. But tonight we stand in solidarity with the family, in grief, and in prayer.”
Ezra was being carried on the shoulders of his father, Treston Blount, when the two became trapped in the crowd surge that started shortly after Travis took the stage during the Nov. 5 festival.
“When my son went to the concert, he had my grandson on his shoulder,” his grandfather, Bernon Blount, told CNN. “All the people pushed in, and he could not breathe so he ended up passing out because of all the pressure that was being applied to his body. And when he passed out, Ezra fell off his shoulder and fell into the crowd.”
Ezra was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital as a John Doe and “had cardiac arrest which damaged his heart,” Blount said. He also suffered damage to his liver and lungs and had swelling in his brain.
The family previously filed a lawsuit against Travis and Live Nation, accusing them of gross negligence. Ezra and his father are seeking general damages, as well as exemplary damages.
Blount becomes the 10th and youngest victim of the tragedy. Last week, Bharti Shahani, a 22-year-old senior at Texas A&M University, died from injuries she sustained at the festival.
More than 100 lawsuits have been filed. Travis has vowed to pay the funeral costs for the victims’ families and is offering mental health services to those impacted by the catastrophe.