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One guard says he was hired by text.
By Nia Tipton — Written on Nov 10, 2021
Organizers behind planning Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival were told ahead of time to refer to any dead concertgoers as “smurfs,” according to an event-planning document.
The festival, which saw the deaths of 8 people and over 300 more injured, is under heavy scrutiny for the lack of response to the deadly crowd surge that happened Friday night.
The event had included a 56-page document for the organizers, which detailed concerns about the intended two-day festival.
The Astroworld operational plan may reveal where the event went wrong.
"Based on the site's layout and numerous past experiences, a Security Plan has been established to help mitigate potential negative issues within the scope of the festival," the document read.
"The potential for multiple alcohol/drug related incidents, possible evacuation needs, and the ever-present threat of a mass casualty situation are identified as key concerns."
The document instructed staff members to never use the term “dead” or “deceased” over the radio.
The document had also included plans for a possible riot or civil unrest, an active shooter, and even weather difficulties.
It discussed how to handle a potential bomb or terrorist threat, pointing out that discreet evacuations should be carried out in any areas where suspicious activity was identified after a threat was received.
The document had a message to all staff that was included in the section discussing potential threats: “All efforts should be made to not panic spectators. Let event continue if threat is not in their area."
It was also noted in the plan that the only people with authority to stop the concert were the executive producer and festival director.
Astroworld staff have criticized the lack of preparation.
Many people who were in attendance at the festival noted how unprepared many of the medics and security guards were when it came to trying to handle the overwhelming amount of people in the crowd.
Jackson Bush, who says he was hired by text message to work the festival as a security officer, says that he did not feel prepared enough to work the event that night.
“I don’t believe I was prepared,” Bush revealed. “I believe if we were all prepared the right way, that stuff would not have happened the way it did. Honestly, even with the amount of people that passed and went unconscious … the amount of injuries could have been avoided.”
Bush and his uncle showed up for the job without any background check and limited security work.
Bush had previously only done security work after being hired to sit outside of a bank. He also revealed that he’d never been to a concert before, but ended up having to save people’s lives in the turmoil at Astroworld.
He was reportedly told that security personnel would be paid $17 through Cash App, but Bush still hasn’t received any money.
Instead he’s left with trauma after seeing what happened at the festival, including his uncle’s hand being broken during the stampede rush of the people in the crowd.
It was reported that around 50,000 people attended the first day of the event, and another 50,000 were expected to have attended the second day.
Many people wonder if too many tickets had been sold despite there not being any capacity limit for outdoor events held at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Travis Scott has spoken out following the tragic incident, promising to pay the funeral expenses for all of the victims as well as partnering with BetterHelp to offer online therapy for the people affected by the events.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Follow her on Instagram.