Family of the Youngest Astroworld Victim Rejects Travis Scott’s Offer to Cover Funeral Expenses

The family of nine-year-old Ezra Blount, who died of severe injuries sustained at the Astroworld catastrophe earlier this month, has declined rapper Travis Scott’s offer to cover expenses for his funeral.

Per Rolling Stone, the declination came via a letter in response to an offer made last week through Scott’s lawyer Daniel Petrocelli, just one day after Blount was laid to rest at his funeral in Texas.

“Your client’s offer is declined,” Blount family lawyer Bob Hilliard wrote. “I have no doubt Mr. Scott feels remorse. His journey ahead will be painful. He must face and hopefully see that he bears some of the responsibility for this tragedy.”

The letter adds:

There may be, and I hope there is, redemption and growth for him on the other side of what this painful process will be — and perhaps one day, once time allows some healing for the victims and acceptance of responsibility by Mr. Scott and others, Treston and Mr. Scott might meet, as there is also healing in that.

It continues, “To lose a child in the manner Treston lost Ezra compounds the pain. As a parent, Treston cannot help but agonize over the terrible idea that Ezra’s last minutes were filled with terror, suffering, suffocation and worst of all surrounded by strangers, his dad unconscious underneath the uncontrolled crowd.”

“With all due respect, no. This isn’t a photo-op story here. This is a ‘who’s responsible and why’ type of investigation. And he’s on the short list,” Hilliard further explained to Rolling Stone on Monday, referring to a separate offer for an in-person meeting from Scott’s camp. Per Petrocelli, the Blount’s family acceptance would have “had no effect” on the lawsuit filed by Treston against Scott and others.

As previously reported by The Root, nine-year-old Blount was atop his father Treston’s shoulders when a crowd surge among the festival’s approximately 50,000 attendees crushed Treston to unconsciousness. Falling to the ground, Ezra was subsequently trampled by concertgoers, suffering fatal injuries.