Spring Branch Independent School District on Saturday said one of its students died in the chaos that unfolded at Astroworld Festival Friday night.
School officials said the victim, who was identified as John Hilgert, was a ninth-grade student at Memorial High School.
A crowd surge at the festival claimed the lives of at least seven others.
On Friday night, a crowd of some 50,000 had amassed at NRG Park for the music festival, which featured popular musicians including SZA, Lil Baby, Travis Scott, and Drake. The crowd consisted largely of teens and young adults. At around 9:15 p.m., while Travis Scott was performing, swaths of the crowd surged toward the stage, causing panic among festival goers. At least 11 people in cardiac arrest were transported from the scene.
View the school’s Saturday statement to parents and students below:
*The statement above was edited to remove the student’s name.
Hilgert’s private funeral service will be held Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021.
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in John’s name to the following organizations:
Spring Branch Education Foundation-John Hilgert Memorial Fund, which will fund salaries for social and emotional counselors at each campus in SBISD and
“Bo’s Place.”
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