Astroworld death toll hits 9 after college student dies of her injuries

The death toll following last weekend’s Travis Scott performance at the Astroworld Festival has risen to nine after a Texas A&M University student succumbed to her injuries, The Associated Press reported.

Bharti Shahani, a 22-year-old Texas A&M University student, had been declared brain dead after getting caught in the crush at the Houston event.

A lawyer for Shahani’s family said during a news conference on Thursday that she had died from her injuries the day before, calling her “a shining star in the community,” according to the AP.

“She was a sister, a daughter, a high-achieving college student about to graduate from Texas A&M University with high, high grades,” James Lassiter said. 

Scott and event organizers have come under intense scrutiny for how they handled a crowd surge that injured hundreds.

“I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night,” the rapper said in a statement the day after the incident. “My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival.”

Earlier this week, officials confirmed that a criminal investigation into the deadly event had been launched. Scott, Live Nation and organizer ScoreMore are facing at least one lawsuit over the handling of the crowd surge.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Wednesday announced the formation of a concert safety task force that will convene members including music industry representatives, law enforcement and state agencies to issue recommendations on how to keep concerts safe. 

“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,” Abbott said in a statement.

The Hill has reached out to Lassiter for further comment.