Audience members fall to their feet and thousands barricade and attempt to scream for help over booms of loudspeakers, yet cries from crowds are left ignored by the artist they had paid to see that night—Travis Scott.

On November 5, a nightmare took place at the Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas where an estimated 50,000 people were crammed for the 30-year old rapper’s concert. Consequently, fans were seen fainting due to difficulty breathing and were trampled by others in the audience. Few security guards got involved to stop the crowd and what made matters worse was that it was stopped until 40 minutes after chaos.

Yet, it was too late. 10 people have been confirmed dead while two dozen stayed hospitalized, with victims ranging from ages nine to 27. The following Saturday, Scott posted a two-minute apology video on Instagram, sending his “condolences” to victims. 

But, between the black and white filter and dull tone, the “apology” came off as insincere and it didn’t help that many videos surfaced of the rapper witnessing chaos and doing nothing to stop it. 

However, this devastating event is only one of many concerts Scott has held where the safety of his fans was put at risk. In 2017, an event called Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion had similar overcrowding issues, where both security and attendees were fatally injured. It was brushed under the rug as Scott pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.

To set a good example for young fans, celebrities should take accountability for their actions and discourage fans from poor decision making. In this case, Scott should take responsibility for the events that unraveled, especially considering how many lives were lost. Especially in these tragic cases, compassion is needed, not some exterior apology that is disrespectful.

In 2017, when the bombing at an Ariana Grande concert left 22 people dead, Grande took action to cover costs of the victims’ funerals. She then hosted a concert titled “One Love Manchester,” which featured celebrities Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and many more, in order to raise money for the victims’ families. To ensure the safety of her fans in future concerts, Grande also installed a higher security system.

Her actions should serve as the blueprint for celebrities involved in these situations. In future performances, celebrities need to be attentive to their audience. When clear disturbance is in the crowd, they should stop their show to provide their audience with proper assistance. Installation of certified security will help to prevent future festivals from getting beyond control by maintaining proper sized crowds.

The deaths that took place at the Astroworld Festival were preventable. The impact of an immature artist and a lack of preparedness from his entire team are the factors to blame in this scenario.