Authorities are investigating the possibility that a bad batch of illicit drugs contaminated with fentanyl may have contributed to the deadly surge at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival.
This line of inquiry follows the revelation that multiple unconscious concert attendees were revived with naloxone, a drug used to counteract opioid overdoses.
The surge during the performance led to eight fatalities, all aged between 14 and 24, and left hundreds more injured as a significant portion of the 50,000-strong crowd pushed toward the stage at NRG Park in Houston, Texas.
Law enforcement officials are working to ascertain whether any of the deaths occurred during the surge or if other factors, such as accidental fatal overdoses, may have been involved, according to a source close to the investigation cited by the Wall Street Journal.
“There are potential scenarios being explored, including deliberate attacks and laced pills,” the source disclosed, adding that authorities have initiated both criminal homicide and narcotics investigations.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner revealed during a press conference following the event that at least one individual was involuntarily drugged. He recounted an incident where a security guard felt a prick on his neck and promptly lost consciousness while attempting to subdue someone else.
“He was reaching over to restrain or grab a citizen and he felt a prick in his neck. 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,” Finner said.
“I think that all of us need to be respectful of the families and make sure we follow the facts and the evidence. And that’s what we’re trying to do here in the Houston Police Department. I will tell you one of the narratives was that someone was injecting other people with drugs.”
Finner referred to initial reports suggesting that an agitated individual with a needle was injecting people in the crowd, which directly led to the stampede and deaths. However, an off-duty nurse, who fainted and was crowd-surfed to the stage during the show, disputed such claims.
“This is a lie. They’re trying to cover their asses. Nobody who actually was there has said this. Nobody saw this,” Madeline Eskins wrote.