DALLAS (KRLD) — Rapper Travis Scott has launched a project he says will support "real solutions that make all events the safest spaces they can possibly be." He announced Project HEAL on his Instagram page in response to the crowd rush at the Astroworld Festival in November.
The crowd started rushing the stage during Scott's concert November 5 at NRG Park. A total of ten people died as a result of the rush; 25 others were hospitalized.
"I will always honor the victims of the Astroworld tragedy who remain in my heart forever," Scott posted on Instagram.
Scott says Project HEAL will be a $5 million initiative.
He says he will provide funding for the U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Event Safety, scholarships to historically Black colleges and universities, free mental health resources and a creative design education program.
"Giving back and creating opportunities for the youth is something I’ve always done and will continue to do as long as I have the chance. This program will be a catalyst to real change and I can’t wait to introduce the rest of the technology and ideas we’ve been working on," Scott wrote on Instagram.
Lawyers representing concertgoers criticized Scott's announcement. Hearings in civil lawsuits that accuse Scott of inciting the crowd started last week.
The judge ordered lawyers on both sides not to make public comments about the case that might influence jury selection or public opinion.
"However well-intentioned Mr. Scott’s belated largesse may or may not be, there seems no reason to issue a press release or announce the specific part of the initiative as it relates to putting money into concert safety and making sure fans are safe at shows, other than to improperly attempt and sway potential jurors with the message 'look at me, I’m a good guy,'" lawyer Robert Hilliard, who is representing hundreds of concertgoers, wrote in a statement.