Governor Abbott Forms Texas Task Force On Concert Safety Following Astroworld Festival Tragedy
AUSTIN, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Governor Greg Abbott announced on November 10 that he is forming a task force to analyze concert safety in the wake of the tragedy at the Houston Astroworld Festival that left eight concertgoers dead and hundreds wounded.
The Texas Task Force on Concert Safety will be led by Texas Music Office Director Brendon Anthony and will consist of safety experts, law enforcement, fire departments, state agencies including the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Comission, music industry leaders, and others.
The task force will hold roundtable discussions to analyze concert safety and develop ways to enhance security at live music events in Texas. After these meetings conclude, the task force will produce a report of recommendations and strategies to ensure concert safety, protect concertgoers, and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Governor Abbott said that "live music is a source of joy, entertainment, and community for so many Texans — and the last thing concertgoers should have to worry about is their safety and security. To ensure that the tragedy that occurred at the Astroworld Festival never happens again, I am forming the Texas Task Force on Concert Safety. From crowd control strategies to security measures to addressing controlled substances, this task force will develop meaningful solutions that will keep Texans safe while maximizing the joy of live music events. I thank the members of this task force for coming together to work on this important issue."
Those injured at the festival include a 22-year-old Texas A&M student and an 8-year-old boy, both of whom are currently fighting for their lives.
Bharti Shahani, 22, was critically injured during the Astroworld 2021 festival in Houston and is fighting for her life, according to her family.
Ezra Blount, a 9-year-old boy from Dallas, was also injured at the festival. He has been put into a medically-induced coma and is also fighting for his life at Texas Children's Hospital.