Astroworld Tragedy Victim Carried Out By Cops, Dropped on Head

11/5/21
DROPPED BY POLICE
TMZ.com

A horrifying video has surfaced, showing the chaos at the Astroworld festival had emergency workers so overtaxed, they tried taking one of the victims out on a stretcher but dropped her on her head.

The video shows a security guard, a police officer and another person carrying a woman on a stretcher to an elevated ledge ... in an attempt to bring her down onto a street where go-carts were waiting to take victims to a medical tent on the premises.

11/5/21
CONCERT CHAOS
TMZ.com

Three rescuers positioned themselves at one end of the stretcher ... near her feet. The 3 men were asking people around them to help bring the woman down off the ledge.

A passerby jumped in to help, but instead of grabbing the other end of the stretcher near the woman's head, he grabbed the area by her feet.

So, all 4 men were on one end of the stretcher and no one was on the other end. When they dragged the stretcher off the ledge, the woman's head violently drops and hits a metal grate below.

The men then put the woman on one of the go-carts and it drives to the medical tent.

We don't know her condition ... but it looks extremely serious.

11/7/21
TRAVIS' EMOTIONAL MESSAGE

As we reported, 8 people are known to have died during Friday's concert. Hundreds were injured after a stampede during Travis Scott's performance.

Travis Scott shared his condolences and devastation on Instagram, he said he is working with Houston PD to identify families of victims.

Astroworld Festival 14-Year-Old Revealed, Youngest to Die

UPDATE

5:50 PM PT -- The unidentified Astroworld victim has now been ID'd -- he's 21-year-old Axel Acosta, a student from Western Washington State.

A 14-year-old named John Hilgert is the youngest victim to lose his life at the Astroworld Festival.

John's family shared the photo of the boy who was apparently crushed in the stampede Friday night.

He was a 9th grader at Memorial High School in Houston.

The Houston Medical Examiner also released a photo of someone they have been unable to identify. The victim is a male in his 20s, stood 6'2" and weighed 498 lbs.

They obviously have released the photo so someone can claim the body.

Among the other victims ... 27-year-old Danish Baig, who was crushed to death while trying to save a relative, 21-year-old Franco Patino, a senior at the Univ. of Dayton in Ohio, 16-year-old Brianna Rodriguez, a junior high school student who loved dance, and 23-year-old Rudy Pena, a model who wanted to become a U.S. Border Patrol Agent.

In all, 8 people died and hundreds were injured. Astroworld and Travis Scott have been severely criticized for not stopping the concert when the tragedy unfolded. He stayed on performing for 40 minutes.

11/5/21
CONCERT CHAOS
TMZ.com

Travis said he was unaware such a tragedy was unfolding, noting people pass out all the time at concerts. Critics say there was plenty of visual evidence this was a horrendous tragedy.

Kylie Jenner Defends Travis Over Astroworld Tragedy ... He Didn't Know People Were Dying

Kylie Jenner echoed the sentiments of her partner, Travis Scott, saying they're heartbroken over the Astroworld tragedy that claimed 8 lives and injured hundreds -- insisting Travis was not aware of the severity of the situation when he was performing as the crowd surged.

Kylie said, "Travis and I are broken and devastated. My thoughts and prayers are with all who lost their lives, were injured or affected in any way by yesterday’s events."

KYLIE'S POV

She went on to address criticism that Travis stayed on stage performing for 40 minutes after the tragedy unfolded ... "And also for Travis who I know cares deeply for his fans and the Houston community, I want to make it clear we weren’t aware of any fatalities until the news came out after the show, and in no world would have continued filming or performing."

Kylie -- who's pregnant with her and Travis' second child -- along with 3-year-old Stormi were at the venue but far away from the crush of people. Kendall Jenner was also with them.

11/7/21
TRAVIS' EMOTIONAL MESSAGE

Earlier Travis posted, "I'm honestly just devastated ... We're actually working right now to identify the families so we can help assist them through this tough time.

As for Kylie, she ended with words of sympathy ... "I am sending my deepest condolences to all the families during this difficult time and will be praying for the healing of everyone who has been impacted."

11/5/21
CONCERT CHAOS
TMZ.com

Jenner was criticized online for leaving up Instagram stories of the crowd, which appeared to show an ambulance trying to make its way through.

The festival is getting severely criticized for not stopping the concert, despite emergency responders declaring the scene a "mass casualty" event as they tried resuscitating some of the victims.

In one video, a spectator is pleading with a cameraman to end the show, screaming, "People are f***ing dying."

Katt Williams Stops Show After Fan Passes Out ... We Won't Have Another Astroworld

HALTING THE SHOW
TMZ.com

Katt Williams didn't want to take any chances Saturday night when someone passed out in the crowd ... unlike what happened at Astroworld -- but almost certainly because of it, Katt stopped the show.

Someone in the crowd lost consciousness and someone screamed, "Stop the show!" Katt heeded the advice and took a 10-minute break while medics rushed in to tend to the audience member.

Katt stayed on stage at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, pacing around and talking to the crowd, but he clearly didn't want to jump right back into his set until medical matters were handled.

You hear Katt tell the audience, "I'm sorry if I won't move on but that Astroworld s*** I mean we can't never continue till we know somebody motherf***ing good ... I'm not goin' to be leaving with that on my conscious ... just take five minutes ... thank you, sir ... I hope she's just having a baby. That's all."

It's unclear what happened to the man who lost consciousness. He was taken out of the auditorium and Katt said, "We made the right decision," adding, "Alright, come back from a commercial break." He continued on with his set.

Astroworld and Travis Scott are getting slammed for continuing the show for 40 minutes after a stampede that left 8 people dead and hundreds injured. As we reported, authorities are investigating whether someone may have injected fans with some sort of drug that could have triggered cardiac arrest.

Jake Paul Zayn's a D***head ... He Got What He Deserves

HE SHOWED WHO HE IS
TMZ.com

Jake Paul went in hard on Zayn Malik Saturday night, calling him a d***head, adding he deserves everything that's coming to him.

Jake was in Vegas, and as he strolled through a hotel lobby he said of Zayn, "He's a f***ing lunatic. The guy's a complete asshole."

TMZ broke the story ... Zayn pled no contest to 4 counts of criminal harassment after he allegedly got into a screaming match with Yolanda Hadid and Gigi. Yolanda says Zayn pushed her into a dresser. He denies it.

Jake and Zayn have long-standing beef ... which began last year when they were both staying at the same Vegas hotel. We're told Jake asked if Zayn was going to party, and Zayn responded, "IDGAF if you have a good night." It went on from there, with Zayn allegedly screaming at Jake, "Who the f*** do you think you are?"

We're told Zayn even challenged Jake, asking if he wanted to "test" him.

Fired Amazon Driver Woman From Van Is 'Close Friend' ... Just Delivering Package 😜

PACKAGE DELIVERED
@patrickhook01/Tik Tok

The Amazon driver who lost his job after a video of a woman slipping out the backdoor of his delivery truck went viral says the mystery girl is someone close to him ... like very close.

Tywan George is the Amazon driver in the video and he tells TMZ he knows the woman intimately and insists he was just doing his job when she was inside the van ... namely, delivering packages ... if you catch his drift.

JUST MAKIN' DELIVERIES
TMZ.com

Tywan says he knew he was going to be in big trouble when the video went viral because he knows how the Jeff Bezos company operates.

The video led to tons of racy speculation about what exactly the two of them were getting into back there ... and Tywan's account is dripping with sexual innuendo.

VAN SWEET VAN
Tywan George

Tywan is being coy but it's fairly easy to figure out what he's getting at here ... and he says he did what any other man in America would do in a similar situation.

Bottom line ... Tywan delivered. 😝

Dustin Diamond Would've Loved 'SBTB' Tribute ... So Says Close Pal

Dustin Diamond might not be around for any more 'Saved by the Bell' episodes, but he would've enjoyed one that's about to honor him ... according to a near and dear friend.

One of DD's closest confidants and pals, Dan Block, tells TMZ ... he was connected with producers for the 'SBTB' reboot earlier this year, courtesy of Dustin's agent -- who patched him through upon his client's untimely passing.

Block says the folks behind the new reboot wanted to pick his brain on how best to pay tribute to Dustin's longtime character from the OG series, Screech, and DB had some ideas.

He tells us he brainstormed with the head writers of the show to figure out a plot that would properly live up to Dustin's legacy and contribution -- and even helped select a handful of Dustin's favorite Screech moments from the past to include in a highlight reel of sorts, which will be featured in the Season 2 premiere later this month.

Not just that, but Block also says he was able to fly in a prop Kevin robot, that was going to be used in a series of commercials before Dustin passed. It is unclear if producers are going to use it in the tribute episode.

Block says this as well ... he believes his late friend would've loved the episode, as he feels it was very tasteful and respectful to Screech's time with the franchise ... especially in light of Dustin actually wanting to be involved from the get-go, but getting passed up on the first go.

As you know ... producers opted not to include Screech in Season 1's storyline, despite the fact Dustin very publicly lobbied for a role. Producers have since said they figured it'd be time to circle back to him for Season 2 -- something they spoke to Dustin about, in fact -- but he passed away of lung cancer earlier this year.

Block says Dustin actually hid his illness from producers when they first approached him about the possibility of being brought back, since he was so eager to participate.

Unfortunately, he was never able to see that reunion come to fruition. 😢

Travis Scott Unaware of Severity ... Of Astroworld Chaos

UPDATE

6:41 PM PT -- Travis just posted a video, echoing most of what we were told -- he's devastated and was unaware of the severity of the situation. Travis says he always tries to look out for his fans, and last night things clearly went very wrong.

UPDATE
11/7/21
TRAVIS' EMOTIONAL MESSAGE
UPDATE

He urges anyone with any information regarding the deaths or suspicious circumstances surrounding what happened to contact authorities.

Travis Scott was mostly oblivious to what was going on around him Friday night during his Astroworld set -- including the fact people were dying around him ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Travis is utterly devastated over what transpired Friday, and he's beside himself over it. We're told he's been crying since it all happened, and he's an emotional wreck.

11/5/21
CONCERT CHAOS
TMZ.com

We're told he wasn't aware of the extent of what was happening around him -- people going into cardiac arrest, etc. -- and thought what few people he did see being attended to were folks who'd simply passed out from dehydration.

It's not uncommon for that type of thing to happen ... especially at a packed festival like this.

We're told Trav did, in fact, stop the show a few times to check on people who appeared to be unconscious or in distress, alerting security and other personnel over to them for assistance. But, our sources say he simply didn't realize how bad it actually was.

Not just that, but we're told neither he nor his camp were even informed about deaths or hospitalizations until after the show was done. As we reported ... a total of 8 people have died thus far, and dozens more were injured and hospitalized, including several minors.

THERE WAS AN INJECTION
Fox 26 Houston

As for Kylie ... our sources say she too is quite upset, and is trying to console Travis as best she can by being there for him.

Like we first told you, there were sightings of at least one person getting jabbed in the neck with a needle ... something Houston PD confirmed as accurate. It's unclear if that may have led to all of the cardiac arrests, or just one or a few -- but it'll certainly be looked at as part of the wider probe.

Travis -- who is cooperating with the authorities -- said Saturday he was heartbroken over everything, and sent his love out to the families of those who were affected.

Dana White LV Is Not Reason For Raiders' Troubles ... Moving 'Not A Mistake'

MISTAKES HAPPEN
TMZSports.com

Dana White -- an absolute Las Vegas legend -- tells TMZ Sports moving to Sin City is not the reason for the Raiders' off-field woes ... explaining bad things happen in every major city.

The UFC honcho -- who's called Vegas home for years -- told us out in NYC this week he does not believe moving from Oakland to Nevada has contributed to the problems with the Raiders.

"People are going to make mistakes," White said, "and bad things happen every day, no matter what city you're in."

Dana's not wrong -- but the Raiders have had more notable issues than any team since they made the trek from NorCal to Vegas before the 2020 season.

Star running back, Josh Jacobs, was arrested and charged with DUI in January. Star receiver, Henry Ruggs, was hit with a DUI charge after a fatal car crash this week. And, cornerback, Damon Arnette, has been accused of injuring a woman in a 2020 car crash as well.

NOVEMBER 2021
THE AFTERMATH
TMZSports.com

White does admit Vegas "is a rough city" to try to keep your nose clean in ... but he still believes there are more places in the U.S. that players can find similar trouble in.

"Listen, Vegas is a tough city and so is L.A.," White said. "Go spend a weekend in L.A. It's the same thing. It is what it is."

As for if White has any advice for Raiders owner, Mark Davis, on how to navigate running a pro sports franchise in Vegas ... he said no, 'cause, "I get enough trouble keeping my guys out of trouble."

Celebrity Scramble Guess Who!

Hidden within this devilish photo is a comedic actor and musician who has been making audiences laugh for decades.

This mischievous man got his start in movies with his rambunctious persona and talent for physical comedy ... he’s kept his humor alive by teaching it to the younger generation.

You may recognize him as one half of the rock-n-roll musical comedy duo who are still performing live shows together after nearly 20 years. In the past, they even produced a festival in Los Angeles filled with supreme stand-ups and tunes that featured artists like Weird Al Yankovic, Bo Burnham, and his very own tenacious band.

NICKELODEON TV HOST KIRK FOGG I'm Coming Back To Host 'Legends' ... With OG Contestants!!!

I'M BACK!!!
TMZ.com

Get ready for a blast from the past ... Kirk Fogg says he's coming back as one of the faces of the rebooted '90s kids game show, "Legends of the Hidden Temple."

We got the former Nickelodeon host outside Starbucks in Studio City and he dished on what's to come in the rebooted CW version of 'Hidden Temple.'

Kirk doesn't want to let the cat out of the bag but he just can't hold his tongue ... telling us he's returning as a co-host Sunday alongside new host Cristela Alonzo ... and it doesn't sound like it's a one-episode deal.

THE LEGEND RETURNS
TMZ.com

Remember ... we also got Kirk back in May and he liked one of our photog's pitches on potential contestants.

Well, as it turns out ... Kirk says he was able to make the vision a reality ... and some contestants from the OG show, which he hosted for 3 seasons in the '90s, are getting a redo!!!

Kirk also gives us his thoughts on the new host and new look ... and tells us some fun stories from Olmec's original labyrinths.

Kumail Nanjiani Good Genes Or Good Docs?!

Kumail Nanjiani's good looks must be eternal because they aren't going anywhere!

Here's the 31-year-old version of the hilarious comedian and "Silicon Valley" actor smirking for the camera at IFP's Gotham Independent Film Awards in New York City back in 2009 (left).

And 12 years later ... the now 43-year-old writer and star of "The Big Sick" looking superhuman as he attends the UK premiere for his first Marvel film, "Eternals," in London, England last week (right). The star-studded action movie -- featuring Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, and Salma Hayek -- just debuted in theaters this weekend.

Marvel-ous!

The question is ...

Kumail Nanjiani ...

Big Bird I Got the 'Rona Jab!!! In Time for Kid Approval

Big Bird is one of the first on Sesame Street to get protection against COVID-19 -- and while some might question why he's late to the party ... the timing makes sense for his audience.

The 8-foot costumed character made the big announcement on Twitter Saturday -- the first time he's tweeted from his account since March. So, yeah ... major development for the reclusive BB.

Big writes, "I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it'll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy." He adds, "Ms. @EricaRHill  even said I’ve been getting vaccines since I was a little bird. I had no idea!"

No photo proof or anything showing Mr. Bird getting his jab, but we'll take him at his word here ... and even give him props for spreading the word on vaccine awareness.

Now, if you're wondering why he mentioned CNN's Erica Hill specifically -- it's because she and other CNN personalities hosted a "town hall" Saturday morning called "The ABCs of Vaccines," which featured a number of 'Sesame Street' puppets talking 'rona and the shot.

Of course, that includes Big Bird too -- and the reason they're all being recruited to even talk about vaccines at all is because the Pfizer jab was just approved for kids between 5 and 11 the other day ... and the government is encouraging parents to inoculate their children.

So, no Big Bird hasn't been holding out or "doing his own research" with vaccine hesitancy -- it's just that his core demographic is now eligible, and he wants to encourage them (and their parents) to get it done. Also, he's apparently only 6 years old or something? 🤷🏽‍♂️

We'll see if parents can be swayed or not though ... as we're seeing more and more, many are firmly against vaccinating their kids against COVID, despite Big and co.'s best efforts.

Justin Bieber Rockin' New Yeezy Boots ... Ug(g)h or Stud?!?

Justin Bieber is ready for winter early thanks to Kanye's new line of Yeezys -- only this time, they're boots ... and not too different from what a kid might wear for his first time in ice.

The Biebs grabbed a morning bite Saturday at the Bel-Air Hotel with his wife, Hailey, and his outfit screamed "Ma, it's snowing!" ... at least from his calves down. His upper half was pretty normal, but JB was wearing the just-released Yeezy NSTLD Boots, Khaki in color.

As you can see ... Justin wanted to show them off in full, so he wore them over his pant legs, tucking in the loose ends so the boots were prominently displayed. Indeed, they're pretty puffy ... and bulky. But ... are they, like, stylish???

Bieber sure seems to think so -- these things just went on sale to the public Friday, and they were retailing for over $300. So, clearly, Justin wanted to get his hands on a pair and rock them ASAP.

We'll say this ... they look part-UGG boot and part-space boot, and are obviously laced with Kanye's signature Yeezy design for the bottom portion. It's also very much so in line with the poofy aesthetic Ye's been running with lately -- specifically, from his Gap Round jacket.

Assuming, Justin's got one of those lying around -- which we're sure he does -- you might say he's snowbound in November. Stay warm, dude!!!

Travis Scott Astroworld Security Pricked in Neck ... W/ Needle, Says Houston PD

THERE WAS AN INJECTION
Fox 26 Houston
UPDATE

1:48 PM PT -- The Houston PD's Chief, Troy Finner, just confirmed what we'd been told ... namely, that at least one person had been injected with something via needle -- and there well may have been more.

UPDATE

Chief Finner said a security guard working the event felt a prick in his neck by an unknown assailant while he was trying to restrain a citizen -- and he quickly fell unconscious. Finner says the guard was revived by use of NARCAN ... and that medical personnel did, indeed, see something on his neck that indicated he'd been stabbed with a syringe.

UPDATE

Finner also said some people had been trampled, so it appears there was a mix of reasons why people were injured/passing out ... and perhaps why some died. The total number of people who've passed away remains at 8, and autopsies are underway to determine the causes of death for each.

UPDATE
11/5/21
CONCERT CHAOS
TMZ.com
UPDATE

The mayor, Sylvester Turner, said something like this has never happened in Houston, and they will leave no stone left unturned to get to the bottom of how and why this occurred.

UPDATE

Live Nation and Travis Scott's camp are cooperating with authorities, and the investigation continues. Houston PD called on the public's help for those with legit information. One last thing ... Houston authorities insist the concert was shut down in a timely manner -- saying the first reports of people "going down" started around 9:30 PM, and that they closed up shop at around 10:10 PM ... which they feel was efficient considering the circumstances

UPDATE

1:04 PM PT -- Houston authorities are about to further address the tragedy at Astroworld Friday in a press conference ... and TMZ is streaming live.

UPDATE

What many will be looking for here is whether there's any evidence to suggest the 8 people who've died thus far might've been triggered into cardiac arrest via outside influence or a third party ... namely, a would-be culprit who was allegedly going around and injecting folks with a syringe.

UPDATE

Of course, we're also expecting an update on the body count ... and whether it has risen since Friday night.

UPDATE

12:33 PM PT -- More disturbing videos are surfacing, which clearly show people were attempting to flag down festival personnel in any capacity to get them to stop the show ... including one of the professional camera guys who was filming the action from afar.

UPDATE

Check out this footage ... you see a girl climbing a ladder up to a platform where a photog is recording Travis' set, presumably from somewhere far out in the crowd. She shouts, "There is somebody dying!" over and over again, and when she can't get the cameraman's attention, she climbs up and forces the issue.

UPDATE
UPDATE

The guy starts to panic, telling her to go back down, but she holds firm ... insisting he get the word out that something was going on down below. A young man joins her to shout the same warning. Meanwhile, you can hear what sounds like Travis Scott continuing to perform.

UPDATE

Again, this just supports the notion that people were, indeed, trying to raise awareness of the scary situation to who they thought were the right people ... but it's unclear if this message was received by those who could actually do something on the drop of a dime, like halt everything.

UPDATE

12:23 PM PT -- Travis's team tells TMZ ... "Travis stopped the show. He did see someone being carried out. He thought that person had passed out, as happens in concerts from dehydration or something similar."

UPDATE

12:02 PM PT -- A new video appears to show Travis reacting to this situation and calling for help.

UPDATE
UPDATE

This is from another vantage point, but it seems to line up with the guy getting carried out. You hear Travis ask for security to jump in and help the man out ... but he continues on singing.

UPDATE

11:50 AM PT -- More questions about the Astroworld tragedy in regards to what Travis Scott and festival organizers knew about what was going on down below, and when ... which is even more so under a microscope now after a video shows Trav looking down onto the crowd, where an unconscious guy is being lifted up and carried out, seemingly in TS's direct line of vision.

UPDATE
UPDATE

Check out the clip ... you see Travis up on a rafter or elevated platform of some sort, singing to the crowd -- while a lifeless, limp body is being carried off by security personnel. The clip makes it seem like this was right underneath Travis' nose, and presumably something he could see. The caption reads "dead body" but we don't know if this person was dead.

UPDATE

Of course, we also have no idea if Travis even saw this or not ... although many online are claiming people in the crowd, including some who were near the front of the stage, were shouting at him to stop the show, as there were people falling unconscious in the audience.

UPDATE

We've reached out to Travis's camp to ask specifically about this video ... and whether he saw or heard any of this going on while he continued to perform. No word back yet.

UPDATE

10:30 AM PT -- Speaking of ambulances ... here's a disturbing video. Astroworld fans dancing on top of an ambulance that was working its way through the dense crowd.

UPDATE
UPDATE

It's not entirely clear if they were transporting somebody or not -- you'd figure they'd have sirens going if it was a true emergency -- but either way ... here are some numbskulls who hopped up onto the roof of the vehicle and danced their ass off.

UPDATE

10:27 AM PT -- Here's Kylie's vantage point from Friday night -- she, Kendall and some friends were stationed toward the back of the crowd, somewhat elevated, where they could see sea of people and Travis and co. all the way up at the front.

UPDATE
KYLIE'S POV
UPDATE

You can see it was an absolutely packed crowd, and one that was hyped too -- jumping up and down together as Travis sings along.

UPDATE

One moment that Kylie appears to have since deleted from her IG Story is a moment when an ambulance appears to be making its way through the crowd on the ground below ... something that was pretty much right in front of Kylie. Unclear if this was in response to one of the cardiac arrests or another situation -- but it's interesting that medical care started to be rendered right in the thick of the show.

UPDATE

9:24 AM PT -- Travis says, "I'm absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival." He adds that he is committed to working with authorities to figure out what happened.

UPDATE
UPDATE

As for the investigation ... our sources tell us at least one of the victims was seen foaming at the mouth before going into cardiac arrest -- further evidence this was not simply a stampede. Houston authorities are planning to hold a news conference later today.

UPDATE

7:30 AM PT -- A source connected to Astroworld tells TMZ, someone in the crowd went crazy and began injecting people with some sort of drug, which caused panic and then a surge. The source says authorities are trying to determine if those who went into cardiac arrest were the ones injected. We're told one of those who died is a 10-year-old. The source says it appears to be a targeted attack. We have not confirmed this report, but the source is a key person involved in the festival.

DETAILING THE TRAGEDY
Fox 26 Houston

Travis Scott's first night of his Astroworld concert in Houston turned into a horrific tragedy Friday night ... leaving 8 people dead and more than 300 injured, and there were signs of trouble even before the concert began.

50,000 people filled the sold-out venue, when, at around 9 PM people began surging toward the stage. People started getting crushed and panic ensued. According to Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena, "People began to fall out, become unconscious and it created additional panic."

11/5/21
PROVIDING CRITICAL CARE
@billynasser/Instagram

At least 8 people died in the stampede. 11 people went into cardiac arrest and were rushed to the hospital. More than 300 fans went to the field hospital near the venue.

11/5/21
NAVIGATING THROUGH THE CROWD
TMZ.com

Someone working the festival tells TMZ ... people were hopping on camera platforms, begging concert staff to end the show after the stampede erupted. They said, "Anything climbable was climbed." They also say there were several thousand pairs of shoes left behind as people fled. When the concert shut down, they said a stage manager said the venue was now "a crime scene."

The scene was chaotic ... medical personnel could not handle all the injured. There is video showing some of them performing CPR.

One concertgoer named Madeline, a nurse, tells TMZ, she was there with her boyfriend when Travis took the stage. During the first song, people started pushing toward the stage and she says she began to feel light-headed, telling us, "I passed out from the constant pressure on my chest and was one of the first people to be carried," adding, "They threw me on top of other people and crowd surfed me to other people, who lifted me over a fence where security was waiting." She says "security guards were bringing bodies from that area to the VIP area," as Travis kept performing, adding, "I see security carrying people who are not moving." She says once she regained her senses, she began administering first aid to others.

A slew of ambulances rushed to the scene ... which became direr every minute.

Before chaos erupted, Travis stopped the show several times during his 75-minute set ... after noticing some of the fans in the front seemed in distress. He told security to make sure they weren't hurt. At one point Travis asked for security to help a specific individual.

Shortly before the surge, Drake had performed with Travis ... and there was no indication the crowd would try to rush the stage.

However, there were some signs of trouble even before the show. A slew of fans knocked over barricades and rushed into the venue.

Kylie Jenner was on hand for the festival as the chaos erupted. She was there with her and Travis's daughter Stormi. As far as we know, they're fine. They were not sitting near the crush.

A reunification center was set up at a nearby hotel, so family members of concert-goers could reunite.

The Medical Examiner is in the process of determining the cause of death of the 8 fatalities.

This was the first night of what was supposed to be a 3-day festival. The second night has already been canceled.

Originally Published -- 4:27 AM PT

Jay-Z Defends Dave Chappelle ... Calls Him 'Brave,' Says Art is Divisive

TAKING A RISK

Jay-Z was trying to walk a fine line while talking about Dave Chappelle's new comedy special -- but it's clear which side of the debate he lands on ... and that would be in DC's camp.

The rapper spoke on the controversy surrounding "The Closer" Friday on a Twitter Space audio conversation -- one that was being hosted by Netflix's Strong Black Lead account, no less. Somebody asked him point-blank about what he thought, and Jay shared.

Check it out ... Jay-Z says Dave is "super brave," going on to say if you spend time with him, you'll see he's "brilliant." Now, Jay does admit Dave pushed a lot of buttons -- ones that apparently made HOV squirm, as he describes -- but in the end, he considers it "true art."

DEFENDING DABABY
Netflix

He goes on to say we're in a time now where people can't have discussions with others who disagree with them -- emblematic in the reaction to Dave's stand-up -- and Jay thinks ... that kinda sucks.

Eventually, the person seemingly moderating the convo asks Jay if he thinks the special was divisive -- and Jay tries to dissociate Dave's special with what he considers great art, which he describes as oftentimes being divisive. While he tried to separate the two, it's clear he thinks Dave's show might fall into that "great art" category.

It's also obvious Jay has no real problem with Dave, evidenced in the fact that he invited him to be one of the keynote speakers at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction a week ago ... and was more than happy to pose and smile with the guy.

So, while Jay is trying not to comment specifically on the content of the special -- he may as well be cosigning it. Hard to decipher this any other way, really. 🤷🏽‍♂️

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