Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The family of Axel Acosta Avila, one of 10 people who died in the chaotic crowd surge during the Astroworld Festival in Houston this month, is among 125 plaintiffs who brought a lawsuit Tuesday against the event's organizers and others.
The lawsuit seeks damages for loss of mental and physical health, and human life, according to the petition filed by the Buzbee Law Firm in Harris County, Texas.
Acosta Avila, a 21-year-old from Tieton, Washington, attended the festival alone, his aunt Cynthia Acosta told CNN affiliate KTRK. "It was his first time going to an event like that," she told the Houston station.
He was a junior at Western Washington University and had an interest in computer science, according to the university.
The lawsuit filed on behalf of Acosta Avila's family names, among others, event organizers Live Nation and Travis Scott, who was performing at the time of the deadly crowd surge. The suit also names performer Drake and Apple, Inc., which the lawsuit said streamed the event on its Apple Music platform.
The lawsuit is seeking more than US$750 million.
"The damages sought in this case attempts to fix, help, or make up for the harms and losses suffered by these Plaintiffs," the lawsuit reads. "The quantum sought includes sufficient punitive damages to punish and make an example of all involved in the streaming, promotion, organization and failed execution of the concert, and also to encourage those who engage in such activity in the future to do so with safety at the forefront."
CNN has reached out to Scott, Drake, Live Nation, Apple and other named defendants for comment on the lawsuit.
In a statement released last week, Scott said he "is distraught by the situation and desperately wishes to share his condolences and provide aid to (the victims) as soon as possible." Scott has said he will pay for the victims' funerals.
Live Nation previously said it is "heartbroken for those lost and impacted at Astroworld," and is "working to provide as much information and assistance as possible to the local authorities as they investigate the situation."
Drake issued a statement on his Instagram account last week, calling the incident a "devastating tragedy."
"My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering. I will continue to pray for all of them and will be of service in any way I can," he added.
At least 140 lawsuits have been filed in the wake of the tragedy, according to Harris County District Court records.
One of those lawsuits was filed by the family of 9-year-old Ezra Blount, who died Sunday after being placed in a medically inducted coma due to injuries sustained at the concert, according to a statement from family attorney Ben Crump.
The lawsuit accuses event organizers of negligence, the statement said.
MUSIC FESTIVAL TAKES TRAGIC TURN
The Astroworld Festival turned deadly as concertgoers were crushed, trampled and struggled to breathe as the packed crowd surged toward an outdoor stage when Scott, a headliner, started performing on November 5.
Information from fire and police officials at the festival reveal a situation that grew increasingly dangerous before and during Scott's set. Ambulances transported a handful of injured concertgoers to the hospital that morning and afternoon, according to Houston Fire Department logs.
Shortly before 5 p.m., the Houston Police Department reported "dangerous crowd conditions" at one stage. Eight minutes before Scott took the stage at 9 p.m., more than 260 people had already been treated, according to the logs, which did not specify the type of treatment. And a 9:18 p.m. entry noted a "crush injury."
Less than half an hour into Scott's performance, the log states: "This is when it all got real."
"Multiple people trampled, passed out at front of stage" at 9:33 p.m, police reported. Minutes later, a police operator reported five 911 calls about "unconscious persons in crowd. Report of possible CPR."
At least one police officer reported the main stage compromised about 9:11 p.m., the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday, citing emergency radio chatter.
The audio included reports of breached barricades, people jumping gates, and breathing and cardiac problems, the newspaper reported. The radio chatter continued until 10:15 p.m., the Chronicle reported. CNN has reached out to the Houston Police Department for comment.
It is unclear what Scott saw from the stage and whether he was aware of the crowd conditions, but he continued to perform until about 10:10 p.m. That was after officials declared the concert a "mass casualty event," according to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña.
Scott did not know of the mass casualty declaration until the following morning, his lawyer has said.
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.